Love in Different-Shaped Packages
by katierosefun
Summary: [AU in which Arthur doesn't die and Merlin is made Court Sorcerer.] A series of one-shots revolving around Arthur and Guinevere's children and Uncle Merlin's adventures. Camelot has never been happier or louder.
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, everyone - making an AU in which season five actually has a (somewhat) happy ending. ****_Arthur lives _****and Merlin is made Court Sorcerer. Arthur and Guinevere have children and Camelot is happy. (For once.) I suppose this is just wishful thinking, but...I needed to give all of these people a happier life after season five. :/ **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Court Sorcerer Merlin wasn't surprised to see five-year olds Elyan and Ella Pendragon running into his workspace at dawn. He was actually awake at this time and was seated on his bench, flipping through the pages of a large, worn book. "Uncle Merlin!" The children shrieked, jumping onto the warlock's lap.

Merlin grunted at impact but smiled all the same at the children's shining faces. "Good morning, you two," he said lightly. "Did you sleep well?"

Elyan nodded enthusiastically, while his twin sister grimaced. "Elyan snores a lot," she said in a staged whisper. "Do you think you can do something about that, Uncle Merlin? It's annoying!"

Her comment immediately triggered a pout from Elyan, who retorted, "I do _not _snore a lot! You're only coming up with an excuse for not sleeping!"

Merlin lifted an eyebrow and looked down at Ella. "Why aren't you sleeping?" He asked quizzically. The young princess stuck out her tongue. "Sleeping is boring," she admitted. "And I'd so rather be awake, Uncle Merlin." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I tried to see you last night, too, but then Father caught me and told me to go back to bed."

Merlin's grin widened and he patted Ella's head. "Well, next time you want to visit me, just do it during the day, alright? That'd be a better time," he said simply. Though the princess didn't seem to like the idea very much, she shrugged. "Fine," she said slowly. Her eyes brightened and she sat up quickly, saying, "Do you think we can go exploring the castle tonight?"

"Er…I don't really know what your parents might think of that, Ella," Merlin replied carefully. Ella rolled her eyes and said, "Mother and Father don't let us do _anything. _It's so _boring_."

Before Merlin could reply, there was a loud, "_Elyan! Ella!" _from outside. To Merlin's amusement, both children jumped and ducked underneath the bench. Merlin peered down at the twins and asked, "Did you tell your father that you were going to be here?"

"We told him we were…gonna go somewhere…" Elyan whispered. "But…we sort of woke him up. And he was chasing us around so…"

His voice trailed off as the door suddenly flung open. Arthur Pendragon came strolling in, his arms crossed and an indignant expression on his face. "Merlin, have you seen the children?" He asked, already peering around the room. Merlin crossed his legs casually over the bench and replied, "No. Can't say I have."

Arthur groaned and brought his hands to his face. "Those two will be the death of me, Merlin. I _swear_ they _live _to wake me up at ungodly hours…" He murmured, shaking his head. Merlin let out a small laugh, causing the king's head to snap up in annoyance. "It's not funny!"

"Oh, no, sire. It's not funny at all," Merlin replied, though he couldn't help but to snigger at the situation. Arthur shot a glare at Merlin before saying, "And Guinevere's still sleeping. She's been as equally tired these last few days and she needed it. Elyan and Ella have been making her run around in circles – do you know what they did to her dress the other day?"

When Merlin shook his head, Arthur went on, "Elyan and Ella ripped it up and declared that they were going to play _dragon-and-princess_. Apparently, some of the bits of dress were supposed to be the dragon's tail and the other bits were going to be the princess's _long, flowy hair." _He sighed. "Ella told me that she wanted purple hair so badly and that this was going to be the closest resemblance to it…"

Merlin smiled. "Must have been fun," he commented cheerfully.

Arthur snorted. "Fun for the kids, yeah – but those two can run faster than a group of _horses_. And the fact that there _are _two of them makes things difficult."

Suddenly, Elyan's head popped up from in between Merlin's ankles. "Actually, Father, I would prefer to hear you say that we're faster than a pack of _wolves_. You know, since wolves are vicious! And strong!" He beamed up at Arthur and Merlin.

Arthur blinked at the sudden appearance of his son and his head immediately turned to the warlock, who was giving the king a sheepish smile. "_Merlin!_ You _liar!_" He cried indignantly. Merlin lifted his hands. "I couldn't help it, Arthur – besides, I'm sure Elyan and Ella didn't mean any harm."

Ella, too, kicked herself out from under the bench and scowled down at her brother. "_Why'd _you have to give ourselves away, Elyan?" She asked, exasperated. "Can't you do _anything _right?"

Elyan scowled and scooted away from Merlin to glare back at Ella. "I _can _do something right! _I _was the one who cut up Mother's dress properly!"

"That doesn't count!"

"Yes, it does!"

"No, it doesn't!"

Temporarily forgetting Merlin's fib, Arthur shot his friend a tired look, as if to say, _see what I have to go through? _Merlin simply grinned in response.

"Alright, you two," Arthur said, stepping in between his children. "Don't fight. Why don't we go down and eat breakfast instead? We can play something else, later – that _doesn't _require cutting up dresses."

Elyan and Ella quieted down and looked up at their father with hopeful smiles. "Does that mean you're not mad at us?" Ella asked. Arthur sighed and rubbed his eyes. "No, Ella, I'm not mad – I never _was _mad with you two in the first place, though I _am _a bit tired. Mother and Father need to sleep sometimes."

"But sleeping is _boring_," Ella complained. "And you look funny after you wake up. Your hair sticks up everywhere, like Elyan's. And Mother can take a _very _long time to get ready."

"My hair does _not _stick up –" Elyan started to shout before Arthur quickly interrupted, "That's because we're not as fast as you two."

Elyan and Ella looked at each other, and, satisfied by their father's compliment, shrugged and smiled. "Alright, Father," Elyan said. "Breakfast sounds nice. Can Merlin come, too?"

Arthur looked over at Merlin and smiled. "'Course."

Ella shrieked in delight and immediately ran over to the warlock, grabbing his hand. "Come on, Uncle Merlin! Breakfast time! Breakfast time!"

xXx

It was a completely normal breakfast with the Pendragons this morning. And by completely normal, Merlin meant slightly chaotic, which _was _quite ordinary. Elyan and Ella were peppering Merlin with questions about sorcery and begging for stories. (The twins absolutely _adored _Merlin's stories, especially ones about Arthur as a prince. And Guinevere as a handmaid, though Merlin was always careful not to talk about Morgana. He had agreed with Arthur and Guinevere that they wouldn't talk about _that _until the two were a bit older.)

After the twins exhausted Merlin out of answers and tales, they went on to debating about whether or not they should play the _unicorn-and-knight _or _troll-and-king. _(Merlin and Arthur and Guinevere had to avoid looking at each other at the mention of the _troll-and-king _game. Sadly, those three knew the reality of _that _game all too well.)

Ella and Elyan immediately erupted into a loud, long argument about how Elyan would (or would not) be the troll in the game. ("You _would _be the troll! You can be stinky!" Ella exclaimed. "So can you!" Elyan shot back. Ella crossed her arms, sticking out her tongue. "No, I can't! Girls _can't _get stinky!")

Then, the argument turned to who would be the king. ("Only _boys _can be kings," Elyan said smugly. Ella pouted. "Fine!" She snapped. "Then I'll be the _queen!_ And you'd be a rubbish king!" At that, both Guinevere and Arthur and Merlin had to end the argument before Elyan could begin throwing a fit. The solution included many "Elyan would be a wonderful king,"s and "Ella would be a wise, clever queen"s.)

Ella and Elyan then started jabbering about what future adventures they would have when they 'grew up'. ("I'm gonna get a pet dragon!" Elyan shouted, to which Merlin gently corrected, "Dragons are not pets." At Elyan's disappointed frown, Merlin quickly went on, "We can meet a dragon, though. Kilgarrah is friendly enough, once you get past the…er…riddles." Arthur snorted at that bit, mumbling something that sounded like, "Friendly – _ha!_")

Last but not least, Ella started complaining that Elyan was kicking her from the under the table, which started up yet _another _argument. The twins ended up crawling underneath the dining table and kicking each other. The adults had to crawl underneath (bumping their heads in process,) and yank them off each other before anything else could happen.

Needless to say, when breakfast ended, each adult was _very _relieved that they had only escaped with a _few_ bruises and their throats were only a _bit _sore from shouting and protesting.

However, the relieved, calm feeling only lasted for a few minutes before Merlin walked into his workspace to find that Elyan and Ella had taken something from one of the shelves and were running out the door.

xXx

The sound of feet thundering throughout the hallways of Camelot's castle was heard by everyone. The servants and handmaids automatically sidestepped in preparation for what to come – and sure enough, two laughing, shouting children ran past seconds later. The members of the servile household immediately sighed in relief and carried on in their business.

However, several poor, unsuspecting servants _did _have to press themselves against the wall as an equally loud warlock ran past. "Sorry!" Merlin shouted over his shoulder, cringing at the surprised expressions that were displayed on the victims' faces. "Sorry, sorry, sorry! I've just got to catch –"

There was a loud _bang _from around the corner, causing Merlin to end his sentence abruptly. He groaned and shouted, "You shouldn't have played with it!"

The servants exchanged weary, tired looks before going back on their way. This was becoming a regular occurrence for everyone now.

At this very moment, Merlin was standing above one of the mischievous children. "Elyan," he said sternly at the young boy, "where is your sister?"

Elyan blinked innocently at Merlin, his hands tucked behind his back. "I dunno, Uncle Merlin," he replied in a sweet, light tone. His shining, brown eyes widened. "Have _you _seen Ella?"

Merlin narrowed his eyes at the prince. He took a quick glance at Elyan's hands and asked slowly, "What's behind your back?"

Elyan shifted his weight from foot to foot and stuck out his left hand, declaring, "My left hand," and tucking it back behind himself, he stuck out the opposite hand. "And my right hand." As he said those words, Merlin couldn't help but to grin at it all – history was, in certain ways, repeating itself. "Very funny, Elyan, but I taught your father that trick. It's not going to work on me now." The warlock said lightly and gently spun the young prince around, despite his protests.

In his hands was a small, delicate amulet that Merlin had been studying over the last few days. Merlin sighed – he loved Ella and Elyan and were as close to them as he possibly could be, but there were times when he, like Arthur and Guinevere, were frustrated. Why wouldn't he? Most of the time, Merlin was completely fine with the twins looking through his things in the workspace, as long as they were under Merlin's supervision and as long as they didn't touch any of the more – ah – dangerous objects. (Arthur wanted Merlin to destroy them as soon as possible, though it was taking longer than originally anticipated.)

As Merlin took back the amulet, there was a loud, surprised shriek from above. Merlin immediately looked up to see Ella falling from the ceiling. (How the _hell _did she get up there…?)

However, before Ella could hit the floor, Merlin managed to slow her fall (using a bit of magic, of course,) and caught the child. Ella let out a puff of breath and flung her head back against Merlin's arms. "Thanks," she said, wide-eyed. Merlin smiled and lowered Ella to the ground. "You're welcome." He replied and looked back at the amulet. "Did you know what this would do?"

"Um…it levitates things. And people. Um." Elyan replied, being apologetic enough to look down at the ground. Merlin pressed his lips together and tucked the amulet safely in his pocket. "I just want you to be safe." At Ella and Elyan's identical sad expressions, Merlin went on, "I'm fine with you two finding out about certain things, but I have to be around for you to do it, alright? Some of those things aren't always good and I don't want you two to get hurt. Do you understand that?"

Ella and Elyan nodded dutifully. Merlin smiled and stood up. "Now, weren't you going to play with your father? I'm sure he's missing out."

xXx

Indeed, Ella and Elyan were playing with Arthur, but the king was quick to drag in Merlin with the playtime. ("Come on, _Mer_lin, you _know _you want to play, too!" Arthur said jovially, despite Merlin's many protests.)

And so, in a flash, Merlin and Arthur were pretending to slay imaginary creatures of Dark magic beside the twins. "Watch out, Uncle Merlin! The creature's gonna eat you!" Ella shouted and Merlin obediently dove to the side. The young girl quickly scampered over to the warlock, lifting a stick over him and screaming, "Take _that_, you ugly beast! Begone!"

Merlin couldn't help himself. He lifted his head an inch off the ground and shared a grin with Arthur, who was staring at his daughter with a soft, happy expression. Both men knew what the other was thinking – it was a beautiful thing to see the innocence of children, especially if those children believed in such things as bravery and courage.

"Up, up, up, Merlin!" Ella shouted, grabbing Merlin's hands and dragging him to his feet. "I only distracted it for a bit! It'll come back!"

Elyan suddenly jumped in front of Ella and Merlin, holding up his own stick with a rather ferocious cry. "Don't touch my friends! Or my family!" He yelled dramatically. He jabbed his stick into the empty air, occasionally letting out cries of valiance. Merlin could tell that Arthur couldn't take it any longer.

His friend swooped Elyan up in his arms and shouted, "_Go, Elyan!_"

The young boy grinned and squirmed around to beam at his father. Ella instantly snapped into action, wanting her father's attention as well. "I can beat it, too!" She pouted in a cross voice. Arthur smiled down at his daughter and in the next second, he was carefully carrying both of his children into 'battle'.

Merlin couldn't resist, either. Laughing, he outstretched his hand and gently lifted Arthur (and his children) a bit higher from the ground. Ella and Elyan both squealed, watching Arthur's feet hover above the grass. Arthur startled, though he didn't drop his children. "_Mer_lin!" He yelped, surprised. "What are you doing?"

"Only helping you fight off the beast, sire!" Merlin replied cheerfully, sitting down on the grass. Ella and Elyan both cheered, waving their sticks in the air. "Yay! Onwards, Father!" Elyan cried gleefully and Arthur obliged, taking a few tentative steps forward.

The next hour was remarkably loud and cheerful. A few servants (unknown to Arthur and Merlin and the children) had even stopped by the courtyard, staring at the group with such curious expressions that you would think that they were the parents or friends themselves. Despite the previous loudness and interruptions that occurred earlier that day, there was something that each and every member of the Royal Household and Court felt when watching the children play with the adults. Shouldn't every adult feel something? Children had that effect on people, after all – the bursts of laughter, the innocent smiles and childish dreams could melt the iciest of hearts in Camelot.

The members of the Court and Household that had been alive back when Arthur was a child even shook their heads in wonder and amazement – Arthur Pendragon himself hadn't been such an excitable child, mostly because he was always fighting to please his father. Of course, there was the occasional argument that shook the castle between Morgana and Arthur, but besides that, it was relatively quiet.

However, Arthur was (according to several people) a somewhat 'better' father to the twins. He had a sort of kindness and warmth that he displayed publicly to his children, something that Uther had always been careful not to show. So, naturally, the birth of Ella and Elyan Pendragon had certainly brightened up Camelot.

"What are you all fighting this time?" Guinevere asked softly, walking up to Merlin. The warlock turned around, grinning. "Not quite sure – Ella and Elyan weren't very specific, though they were sure to point out that it was just a dangerous beast that seemed to have the appetite for Court Sorcerers."

Guinevere laughed, shaking her head. "The children _are _rather fond of you, Merlin. I'm sure they only tried to get this 'beast' to eat you to show some abstract form of affection."

"Oh, they did – I swear the twins only made that monster up to have excuses to save Arthur and me." Merlin said cheerfully, turning back to Arthur, who had now released Ella and Elyan. Thankfully, Merlin's magic had extended to them and he was holding all three of them for a considerable amount of time, though he was beginning to feel a _bit _worn. (It was better than last time, though – before, Merlin could only hold people up for about ten minutes. Practice made perfect, after all!)

"Sounds familiar?" Guinevere asked with a pointed stare at Merlin. The warlock gave his friend a shrug. "Yes, well – I never _purposefully _attracted monsters or sorcerers, Gwen," he said lightly. "But…yeah, I've saved Arthur's arse more than a few times."

"Which we're all grateful for, and you know it." Guinevere replied quietly, giving Merlin's arm a quick squeeze. Merlin's expression softened and he turned back to Arthur, a smaller smile taking over his face. "Yeah," he murmured. "I'm grateful for it, too…not to sound cocky, just…I'm glad that Arthur's here, like he should be. And I'm glad that Ella and Elyan are here, too."

Guinevere let out a quiet, content sigh and changing the subject, she said, "Oh, goodness – how long have you been keeping those three in the air?"

Merlin shrugged. "To be honest, I lost track of time." He glanced up at the sky to find the sun, which was now high up in the air. "Huh – looks like it's noon," he commented. "And I've been holding them since…" His voice drifted as Guinevere marched forward, her hands on her hips.

"Are you three going to go inside, or are you going to tire out Uncle Merlin?" She asked with such sternness that Merlin couldn't help but to laugh. It was in times like these when it struck Merlin silly how wonderful a mother Guinevere was – she was gentle and patient, just as she had always been, wise and clever, loving and caring, but with just the right amount of firmness and backbone that every single mother should be. At least, that's what Merlin thought.

And Arthur must have certainly been thinking something along the same lines, because he flashed his wife such a bright smile that Merlin couldn't help but to relax at the sight of his friend's happiness. "Sorry, _Mer_lin!" Arthur called. "Got a bit sidetracked – fighting a large monster, you know?"

Merlin's smile stretched from ear to ear as he replied, "Of course I would now, you prat! I was the one helping! If it weren't for me, you'd still be stuck on the ground! It's a good thing I got your back, yeah?"

"Oh, don't get cocky now, Merlin!" Arthur retorted, though he seemed as equally cheerful and pleased with the conversation. Merlin simply rolled his eyes and carefully brought the three down to the ground. Elyan and Ella immediately crumpled to their feet, wearing similar expressions of wonder. "Huh – the ground feels funny," Ella said, pressing her stomach to the grass and tapping her fingers against the dirt. Arthur, on the other hand, didn't fall back as his children did, but he, too, looked rather confused. "I think that's because we've been in the air for so long," he said, stretching out his legs.

"Again, all thanks to me!" Merlin said teasingly and the Pendragons all groaned in unison. "What?"

However, Ella's reason for groaning was quite different from her parents and brother. She walked forward, and flinging her arms around Merlin's legs, she said, "Silly Merlin! We _know _you're always trying to help us! You don't need to say it again! We know!"

Merlin smiled and patted Ella's head, a familiar burst of warmth going off in his heart. Out of all of the little children that Merlin had met, Ella was probably the one who treated Merlin the fondest, which made him glow with such great happiness. Then again, Merlin was absolutely positive that that was only because Ella was one of the sweetest little girls that he had seen. (Well, besides the arguments and fights she would get into with Elyan…) Still, he wasn't complaining, and he knew that Arthur and Guinevere were just fine with the arrangement as well.

"Ooh, don't encourage him, Ella! Who knows, it might get to his head!" Arthur said teasingly, tickling his daughter in the stomach. Ella started giggling and pressed her face into her father's arms. "Stop it!" She gasped in between her laughs. "S-s-_stop!_"

Once Ella finally stopped laughing, Elyan puffed out his cheeks and crossed his eyes, causing his sister to shriek in glee again. "_Elyan!_" She protested, slapping a hand over her mouth. "My – stomach hurts now!"

Her twin didn't bother listening. He started pulling various silly faces to produce more giggles from Ella, which made the adults smile at one another. Precious moments like these were always going to be documented in their hearts, and they all knew that.

"Come on, you two – why don't you wash up. We'll eat lunch and you can play a bit more, alright?" Guinevere said tenderly, wrapping her arms around Ella and Elyan's shoulders. The twins both smiled and nodded. "Will Father be able to play with us, too? It was fun," Elyan turned to Arthur hopefully.

To Elyan and Ella's disappointment, Arthur shook his head. He looked just as sad and frustrated as his children as he replied, "I've got to do some boring things, first. It won't be _anywhere _near as enjoyable as playing with you two, though."

Elyan frowned. "Then why do you do it, Father?" He asked as they all started to make their way back inside. "It'd be so much easier to play with us, right?"

Arthur ruffled his son's hair. "Yes, Elyan," he replied quietly. "It'd be _much _easier and better, but sometimes, I've got to do things for other people, too. You can understand that, right? You too, Ella?"

The twins exchanged crestfallen expressions but they managed to bob their heads into a nod. "I wish it wasn't so, Father," Ella said in such a solemn voice that Merlin and Arthur both fought to keep themselves from smiling, "but it's good to help other people."

"As long as you promise to play with us afterwards," Elyan added. Arthur nodded and planted a kiss on each of his children's heads before saying, "Go on, now. I'll see you at lunch."

Elyan and Ella smiled up at their father and walked down the hallway, Guinevere trailing behind in case the two would get into any trouble (again).

Merlin and Arthur, on the other hand, remained where they were. The warlock looked over at Arthur, saying, "It really _is _a shame." Arthur nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I want to get that speech over with, Merlin," Arthur grumbled. "But it's not fair that Elyan and Ella don't always have a proper father to be around."

"Proper father?" Merlin asked, bemused. "Just this morning, you were complaining about how the children were waking you up too early – and then you ate breakfast with them and played with them for the rest of the morning." At Arthur's bewildered expression, Merlin reassured, "You're doing a great job at being a father, Arthur. Those kids love you and everyone knows it."

Arthur drew out a long sigh. "For the love of Camelot, I hope you're right, Merlin."

Merlin grinned at his friend. "When have I not?" He asked lightly. "And besides, Elyan and Ella are turning out to be good children, just like their parents." He cast Arthur a sly look as he said those words. "They can be _very _stubborn, but they've got kindness and joy in their hearts, Arthur. I think they're amazing."

Arthur smiled back at Merlin and clapped him on the back with a hand. "You know, Merlin, it's in times like these when I'm very grateful that I didn't chop your head off when you told me you were a sorcerer."

Merlin let out a loud, cheerful laugh. "You wouldn't survive a day without me and you know it."

Arthur's expression softened. "That's right," he replied and sighing again, he took a few steps down the corridor. He stretched out his arms and turned to give Merlin another grin. "And for the record, I think Elyan and Ella are absolutely amazing, too. Only issue is that they can either make you feel five years older or five years younger."

Merlin shrugged his shoulders, beaming at his king. "I think that's a fair price for having children," he replied happily. Arthur nodded, his voice getting quieter as he looked back down the hallway, where Elyan and Ella's bedroom was. "I suppose it is, Merlin," he said. "I suppose it is."

* * *

**A/N - Well, I always thought that Arthur would be pretty nervous about being a father...and would end up being a better father than Uther. (I suppose Uther was _supposed _to act stern and everything, being a king and all, but hey, Arthur's obviously different from his father.) **

**And we all know that Merlin would be an awesome friend of the family, too. XD (Yes, I know that 'uncle' usually applies to the husband or wife's brother, but I know that in some families, people address close friends of the family as 'uncle' or 'auntie'. At least, that's what my family does. XD) **

**Reviews would be nice! Constructive criticism is acceptable, but flames are not!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't usually like updating my stories after 5:00 PM, but...I'm bored and I want to update one of my stories. XD In case you guys didn't know, I'll be updating this story once a week. (Or later, depending on my schedule these days. O.O But for now, we'll stick to once a week.) **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

When Guinevere declared that she was pregnant with another child, Elyan and Ella were both confused. Merlin suspected that they would – they were still only five years of age and could hardly understand why people needed to do their sums and read, no matter how hard their parents and tutors tried to explain. How would they be able to understand the concept of having another member of the family?

Arthur and Guinevere were looking at Ella and Elyan with such proud, happy expressions that the twins only looked more bewildered than before. It was Elyan who spoke first.

"Why?" He asked, crossing his arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you and Ella might have another brother or sister, Elyan." Guinevere replied gently, placing a hand tenderly over her stomach. "It's growing and my stomach will get larger – you might even be able to feel it move around in a few months."

Elyan's brow furrowed. "Ew," was his only comment. Guinevere sighed and looked over at Merlin and Arthur for help. Merlin shrugged – to be honest, he wasn't quite sure how the entire pregnancy business worked, either, and he wasn't in the room when Ella and Elyan were delivered. (He was _supposed _to be there, but he er – got held up. In the end, however, he managed to watch Ella and Elyan in their mother's arms. He was also there to see the parents name them, so Merlin supposed his late arrival wasn't _too _bad.)

"It's not _ew,_ Elyan," Arthur said lightly, wrapping an arm around Guinevere's shoulder. "Don't you want another sibling? You might have more people to play with."

Ella said the words before Elyan did – "But we don't _want _to play with anyone else, Father," she said crossly. "I only like playing with Uncle Merlin and Mother and you – playing with another child won't be _fun_."

"Yes, it will, Ella." Arthur countered, though his voice never lost the same, soft note to it. "Besides, aren't you getting tired of just playing with us?"

Ella stamped her foot and cried, "No! I won't _ever _get tired of it! I don't _want _another brother or sister! I don't _want _a baby! I like our family the way it is!" Angry tears forming in her eyes, Ella stormed out of the room. Naturally, Elyan followed her, looking just as upset as his sister.

Arthur sighed and immediately moved forward to go after them, but Guinevere held him back. "No, Arthur – let them think about it." She said quietly, eyeing the spot where the children were with sad eyes. "They'll be fine."

The blonde looked prepared to argue, but one more glance at his wife forced him to remain where he was. "I don't understand it," he murmured. "I thought those two would _love _the idea of having another sibling." Arthur looked over at Merlin helplessly. "What did we do wrong?"

Merlin bit down on his lower lip. "I'm really sorry, Arthur," and he truly was, "but I don't think I can answer that. Like Gwen said, they probably need some time to think about this." Merlin paused and crossed his arms. "The announcement came as a surprise to some of us." At the last part, he stared pointedly at Guinevere and Arthur.

The married couple cringed in unison. Arthur clapped a hand over Merlin's shoulder and said apologetically, "I know we should have told you beforehand, but we were so excited to get the news out and…we thought it'd be easier to tell the news to the three of you at the same time."

"Yes, well, Ella and Elyan don't know how to react like adults yet, Arthur. Surely, you know that by now." Merlin replied dryly, causing his friend to roll his eyes. "Do I _ever_," Arthur said tiredly, dropping his hand from Merlin's back. He glanced around the room, almost as if he was hoping that the children would run back into the room in a minute.

Merlin smiled sympathetically at Arthur when the next few moments passed by. "I'll be in my work-chambers if you need me," he said, and with a nod at Guinevere and another smile at Arthur, he strolled out of the room. Merlin was actually so distracted on the way to his work-chambers that he didn't even sense a person already in the area.

However, when the warlock swung open the door, Ella was already sitting on the bench, her little legs swinging over the wooden floor. Her head of curls was lowered to her chest so she couldn't do much except stare at her feet. Her hands were clasped neatly over her lap, though they kept shifting from time to time. (Such was the behavior of an already-energetic five-year old, after all.)

"Hello, Ella," Merlin said conversationally, walking over to the young girl. Ella's head lifted to look up at the warlock, though she didn't smile. She was still thinking about the pregnancy, by the looks of it. "Hello, Uncle Merlin," she replied quietly. Merlin gave Ella a small grin and sat down next to her. "Where's your brother? I thought you'd be with him."

Ella shrugged. "He said that he wanted to talk to Sir Leon. I said that I wanted to see you, but Elyan told me that he wanted to see him first. Since I didn't _want _to see Sir Leon first, I decided that I'd go to you without him." She said matter-of-factly. Merlin's heart warmed at Ella's words – just as Ella had a particular soft spot for Merlin; Elyan was rather fond of Sir Leon. Merlin was rather grateful for that, too – Elyan had cheered Leon's world considerably, especially since Guinevere's brother and Gwaine died.

Merlin looked down at the girl. "Do you want to talk about anything?" He asked quietly. "Or…do you want to help me work?"

Ella glanced at the pile of large books and potions on the table and slowly shook her head. At that, Merlin grew worried – Ella Pendragon _always _wanted to help Merlin when he was working. She was such a curious child that Merlin couldn't ever deny her the chance to obtain more knowledge in this room. (Again, Merlin was always careful about what he showed Ella, and so far, those practices seemed to be doing well.)

"Can I ask you something, Merlin?" Ella asked softly.

Merlin nodded, though he had an odd feeling about what was going to come next. Or at least, what the question was going to be related to. (You didn't need magic to guess.)

Sure enough, Ella asked, "Why are Mother and Father so happy about getting another child?"

Merlin hesitated – Ella was still an impressionable child and he was frightened about what he would have to say next. His entire life had revolved around the decisions he had made, and he wasn't quite sure if this one was going to be another one of those life-changing decisions. Somehow, Merlin managed to say, "Another child is another addition to the family. They'd be happy to see their family grow."

Ella pouted. "I don't want our family to grow," she retorted. "Our family is perfect right now. I only need Mother, Father, Elyan and _you_."

"And I love our family like this, too, Ella," Merlin replied patiently, "but don't you think it'd be cool to see another member?"

Ella's face crumpled. "But what if Mother and Father like the new child better than me?" She asked. "Mother and Father can get cross with Elyan and me sometimes and their new child is probably going to be _perfect _and no one's gonna love me anymore."

Merlin gave in – he wrapped his arms around Ella's tiny shoulders and pulled her close. The little girl welcomed the warlock's gesture gratefully, immediately bursting into quick, heartbroken sobs. "I d-d-don't want Mother and Father to s-stop loving m-m-me!" She wailed. "I d-don't want a stupid baby!"

Merlin shook his head and started murmuring in quiet, soothing tones, "Your Father and Mother _love _you, Ella. They love Elyan, too and nothing in the world could stop that." When Ella didn't acknowledge his words, he went on, "Remember that pretty bamboo plant that we saw a few days ago?"

Merlin felt the young girl give him a small, slight nod from under his chin and continued, "It's like that – the bamboo plant has all those shoots surrounding it but it can't die – the old bamboo shoots don't fall apart." He gave Ella's hand a squeeze as she lifted her head. "So…we're the bamboo?" She asked quietly.

"In a way, yes," Merlin replied. "We're the bamboo and the little baby in your mother's stomach right now is the new bamboo shoot. When it comes, none of us are going to fall down or break. We'll be just fine – we'll just have one more piece of the family to love."

Ella wiped at her eyes and asked, "Uncle Merlin, you said that Mother and Father will always love Elyan and me…no matter what." She hesitated. "Would you…would you love us like that, too? Or…would you be the bamboo shoot that falls?" Her eyes grew wide at the concept, but Merlin quickly shook his head.

"Your mother and father love you more than any other human beings on this earth and no one – _no one, _not even me – can replace that love." Merlin said softly. "But I love you, too, Ella – and that goes for Elyan and the baby. And I would love you even when you get into trouble or do something wrong."

At that, the little girl's lips twitched into a small smile. "Even if I took your things a few times?"

Merlin chuckled lightly under his breath. "_Even _if you took my things," he promised. "It doesn't mean you _should_, but…that's the point, yeah."

Ella beamed at the warlock and slid off hesitantly off the bench. "Thank you, Uncle Merlin." She said and paused. "I think I'm gonna talk to Mother and Father now."

Merlin nodded and stood up. "Do you want me to take you to them?" He asked and when Ella bobbed her head for a _yes_, he took her hand and started out the door. They only walked a few steps before they caught sight of Arthur, who was just walking down the hall himself.

"Merlin, there you are! I've been looking all over for –" He stopped short when Ella broke away from the warlock and sprinted for her father. Ella launched herself into Arthur's arms and the blonde smiled (though he looked rather surprised), and spun her around.

"Father, I talked to Merlin! He said that our family are bamboo shoots and the baby is another bamboo shoot and we're gonna be perfectly fine!" She said enthusiastically. Arthur lifted his eyebrows at Merlin, who smiled sheepishly. The king shook his head, though he replied, "That sounds great, Ella."

He bounced his daughter in his arms and asked, "So, are you telling me –"

"I'm alright with Mother having another baby, Father." Ella nodded. A moment passed before she went on, "But I want a sister. Not a brother."

Arthur laughed lightly under his breath and planted a soft kiss on Ella's forehead. "We'll see," he replied. And then, in the next second, Elyan came running into the hallway, dragging none other than Leon behind him. Merlin flashed the knight a grin, who looked something of a mix of bashful and joy-ridden as Elyan pulled him along.

"Father! I've made my decision! A baby is alright, as long as it's a boy!" Elyan declared breathlessly, stopping short in front of Arthur's feet. He smiled proudly at his father and glanced back at Leon, who grinned back. "Sir Leon said that our family was a flock of birds!"

Merlin resisted the urge to laugh – instead, it came out as a half-snort/half-chuckle. He looked over at Leon, who shrugged with the same expression that Merlin had worn just minutes ago.

Ella, however, was not impressed with Leon or Elyan's analogy. "Well, Merlin said that our family was a bunch of bamboo shoots!"

"No way! It's a flock of birds!"

"Bamboo shoots!"

"Birds!"

"Bamboo!"

"Birds!"

Arthur shot Leon and Merlin a tired look, murmuring, "I only hope that when the baby is born, Ella and Elyan won't fight as often." Merlin and Leon both cracked a smile at the king, though the comment immediately shut the children's mouths. Ella and Elyan both turned to their father in unison, their eyes narrowed with such annoyance that Merlin snorted in laughter.

"We're not done yet, Father," Ella said, sticking her tongue out. "And it'll be a baby _girl_, remember?"

Elyan glared at his sister. "What are you talking about? It's _obviously _going to be a baby boy!"

Merlin, Leon and Arthur had to pry the children apart before any bruises could form.

xXx

The nine months of waiting was extremely horrifying for everyone – especially for Arthur, Guinevere and Merlin. Strangely enough, the reason for the edgy behavior didn't come from the expected baby, but more so the twins. Every night, Ella and Elyan would walk into their parents' room and curl up by their side, hungry for their love before the new addition to the family could be born. Not that Ella and Elyan weren't excited for the baby, of course, but Arthur and Guinevere figured that there were still little bits of fear lodged in their hearts.

And who could blame them? Ella and Elyan were afraid of being replaced, just like every other human being that ever walked the earth. And while Arthur and Guinevere welcomed their children with loving arms, it grew tiring and increasingly terrifying as the months passed. For one, _any _warrior would be nervous about hearing his bedroom door open at midnight, even if that warrior was Arthur.

Many nights were Arthur and Guinevere startled out of their sleep, only to see that their children wanted to come into bed with them. Again, they were glad that their children were so innocent, but all the while, the two were only human…

At last, Arthur had to put the children's beds in their bedroom, for the king was beginning to worry that the surprise wasn't going to be healthy for Guinevere or the unborn child.

If that wasn't enough, Ella and Elyan required for Arthur and Guinevere's attention to be on them for every waking minute. And if Arthur and Guinevere were busy with other duties, Ella and Elyan would run to either Merlin or the knights, peppering them with questions about pregnancy and how the baby would come out.

Needless to say, Merlin and the knights were all rather red-faced and nervous about answering those questions. Merlin's own strategy was to distract the children with playthings or magic so the thoughts of pregnancy would fly out of their heads. The knights, too, tried leading the children's attention to playing with 'swords' (made of sticks, of course) or talking about famous battles.

So, Ella and Elyan's actions were beginning to tire everyone out and it was a miracle that Guinevere had finally given birth to her child. And this time, Merlin was actually in the room. Ella and Elyan were being kept outside by one of the handmaids for the sake of not seeing their mother in the pain of childbirth.

Throughout the entire process, Arthur gripped Guinevere's hand with such ferocity that Merlin was fairly sure that her hand was going to pop off the wrist. However, Guinevere didn't say anything – she couldn't. She was shouting and wailing above the gentle, soothing words of the midwife. Merlin was doing what he could to calm Guinevere down as well, though Guinevere cried all the same.

And finally, suddenly, the clamor of a baby crying and yelling was woven into Guinevere's screams. After a few passing moments, the umbilical cord was cut and the child was immediately washed of blood and other mucus-like substances.

"A boy," Guinevere breathed as the child was wrapped up in clean cloths and handed over. "It's a boy, Arthur."

Arthur didn't answer right away. He couldn't. Just as he had the last time Guinevere gave birth, tears were silently running down his face. Arthur brushed away the tears quickly, though it didn't help much. He simply held tighter onto Guinevere's hand and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "A boy," Arthur echoed quietly. He tenderly fingered his new son's face.

Merlin himself was crying, though he couldn't find any motives to wipe them away. He cleared his throat and finally said, "Well…Elyan's going to be happy. Ella might be a bit cross, though."

At those words, Arthur and Guinevere started laughing.

Moments later, Ella and Elyan burst into the room, eyes wide. The maidservant trailed behind them, gasping, "I'm sorry, your Majesties! I was trying to hold them back, but –"

"It's fine," Guinevere said gently. She looked down at Ella and Elyan, who were staring curiously at the bundle in their mother's arms. "We heard you screaming, Mother," Elyan whispered. "We thought the baby was killing you."

Guinevere shook her head. "No, Elyan, the baby wasn't killing me."

"Then why were you screaming?" Ella asked, lifting an eyebrow. She shot a few glances at Arthur and Merlin. "And why are Father and Uncle Merlin crying? Did something sad happen?"

Arthur walked around the bed and brought Ella and Elyan together for an embrace. "No, nothing happened – these are happy tears, see? We're smiling," Arthur replied and sure enough, a smile lit up his face. Ella stared at her father and tilted her head. "I suppose so…" She murmured and looked back up at Guinevere. "Is it a girl? Oh, please say it's a girl!"

Merlin had to bite into his knuckle to keep himself from laughing when Guinevere responded, "No, Ella – it's a boy." Elyan immediately cheered, while Ella frowned in annoyance. However, Arthur quickly said, "But look at him!" He hoisted Ella and Elyan onto the bed so that they would have a better look at their new brother.

Merlin couldn't help but to smile at Ella and Elyan's reaction. Elyan's face was thoughtful, as if he was deciding whether he truly liked the baby or not, whereas Ella's eyes widened in surprise. "Look, Father! He's got Mother's eyes! Like mine! And Elyan's!" She said excitedly. "And he's got a tiny nose!" She paused and leaned closer to the baby. "It kind of looks like yours, Father."

The baby, which had remained relatively silent after his loud entrance, started cooing, as if he knew of the words that Ella was speaking. Ella giggled and waved her hand. "Hello, little baby," she whispered. "I'm your big sister and I'm gonna be the best one in the world."

Merlin and Arthur and Guinevere all looked up at each other, exchanging wide smiles. Elyan, on the other hand, continued to stare at the baby. He chewed on his lip and said slowly, "You made my mother cry. And my father. And Uncle Merlin. They say it's happy tears and I really, really hope they're telling the truth."

He hesitated and went on, "I don't really want to see them cry, but since you're a boy and since you're so small, I suppose you didn't mean to make them cry like that." Elyan paused again and added, "Oh, and I'm Elyan. And I'm your brother. We'll play a lot, right? As long as you're the troll in the games, though – I don't wanna be the troll anymore."

At those simple words, all of the adults burst into laughter, causing the baby to startle and cry out. Guinevere quickly covered her mouth with a hand and whispered, "Sorry."

Ella and Elyan, however, simply giggled at their mother's bashfulness. Merlin smiled and leaned against the bed-post. "Well, what are you going to name him?" He asked. "I'm pretty sure you've got a few names picked out already."

Arthur and Guinevere stared at each other with stricken looks. There were a few seconds of silence before Arthur said, "Actually, Merlin, we weren't able to think of any names."

"We were rather busy –"

"And we were more worried about the baby's health than its _name_ –"

"And we kept worrying about everyone else –" (Guinevere obviously meant the twins, but thankfully, she didn't mention their names.)

"_How _did we forget to think of his _name_?" Arthur finished dubiously.

It was Ella who spoke up. "I think you should name him Sterling," she said suddenly. All heads turned to her curiously. "Why Sterling?" Arthur asked, confused. Ella shrugged and looked back down at the boy. "Sterling sounds like something from a fairy-tale," she replied at last. "And I think he looks like something out of one of those fairy-tale books."

Ella looked back up at her parents. "Can we name him Sterling, please?" She asked pleadingly. "He looks so much like a Sterling!"

Arthur blinked and turned back down at the baby, who cooed again, though this one sounded a bit sleepier. His eyes were slowly closing to a shut, though every few seconds, they would flutter back open. "Sterling Pendragon," Arthur said slowly. He looked over to Guinevere. "It _does _have a nice ring to it."

Guinevere smiled. "It does," she agreed and kissed the baby's forehead softly. "Welcome to the world, Sterling Pendragon."

With that, Ella beamed at her parents.

xXx

The next day, Ella and Elyan (expectedly) made it their mission to bring Merlin to every single visit to Guinevere. "You haven't seen Sterling for an entire hour, Uncle Merlin!" Ella would say huffily, grabbing the warlock by the hand. "Sterling is gonna miss you and he's gonna complain if you don't!"

Merlin didn't bother putting up a fight whenever the children popped into the room for that reason. If anything, he rather liked these frequent interruptions. He was just as excited as Ella and Elyan to see little Sterling Pendragon, who was constantly being adored and fussed over by his parents and siblings.

"You know, Uncle Merlin, I don't think I can believe how I thought that I didn't want Sterling in the family." Ella said one day, looking down at Sterling in his mother's arms. "I don't think it'd be possible to think that Sterling wasn't supposed to be here."

Merlin shot Guinevere a small look before he asked, "And why do you say that?"

Ella smiled up at Merlin, and perhaps Merlin's opinion was a bit biased, but he thought it was the most beautiful smile that a child could wear. "'Cause he's my brother – he's Elyan and my brother and he's gonna be your friend and he's Mother and Father's son." Ella replied. "And he's perfect like that."

Ella's gaze drifted back to Sterling, who smiled happily at his sister. "It's like the bamboo shoots, Uncle Merlin," she continued thoughtfully, lifting a hand to touch Sterling's face. "None of us are going to break with Sterling around."

Merlin had to try very, very hard not to cry in joy at those words.

* * *

**A/N - No, none of these chapters are in any particular order. Some of the chapters might take place a few years earlier than usual, but they'll always include Arthur and Guinevere's children...and Uncle Merlin, of course. XD **

**Reviews would be great! Constructive criticism is allowed, but flames are not!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! Er...lots of you people wanted me to write something about Merlin showing some interest in another woman and so...this chapter was born. XD I wrote this a while ago and then sort of drifted from it due to school and other stories, but I hope this chapter will still be satisfactory! **

* * *

"I think Uncle Merlin loves someone," five years-old Sterling said thoughtfully as he stretched himself on the grass next to his brother and sister. Elyan looked over at Sterling with a lifted eyebrow. "Why'd you say that?" He asked quizzically. Ella, too, propped herself up on her elbows, interested in what her brother had to say. Even at the age of ten, she was quite keen to hear and know anything and everything about their beloved uncle.

"He's been looking at Jolenta with a funny face lately." Sterling replied. He looked over at Elyan and Ella, who were starting to exchange confused, bewildered expressions. "Kind of like how Father looks at Mother," the little boy offered helpfully.

Elyan snorted. "How would Uncle Merlin love Jolenta? She's just a friend – isn't she?" He looked over at his sister for confirmation. "Isn't he?" He repeated.

Ella was tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I dunno," the ten-year old girl murmured. "I mean, Jolenta _does _work with Uncle Merlin often…" Her voice trailed off as Elyan rolled his eyes. "That's because she's one of the _nurses_," he replied. "_Everyone _knows that magic and science works hand-in-hand. At least, that's what Uncle Merlin told _me_."

Ella narrowed her eyes at her twin. "Oh, and since when did _you _know or care so much about it all?" She asked haughtily. "None of the other nurses visits Merlin as frequently as Jolenta!"

Sterling sat up, resting his hands over his knees. "They've been talking a lot more often since Jolenta helped Uncle Merlin after that awful fight," he said quietly. Ella and Elyan's heads snapped back at Sterling, whose wide eyes were focused on their faces. "It's true, isn't it? After that bad night, Jolenta helped him. And they were talking. I saw them."

Ella and Elyan both nodded gravely at the memory. Just a few months ago, their father had ridden out to the villages, saying that there was something strange going on in that part of the kingdom. Uncle Merlin had been with them and when they came back, both their father and Merlin were severely injured. Ella and Elyan and Sterling hadn't cried so much before on that night. In fact, each sibling dreaded the idea of something like that happening to the men again.

"Do you…think we should ask Uncle Merlin about Jolenta?" Ella asked, looking at her brothers with wide eyes. "Maybe he'll tell us something!"

Sterling perked up. "That'd be good!" He agreed. Ella beamed down at him and stood up, extending her hand to help him up. Sterling took a hold of Ella's hand eagerly, already bouncing at the idea of visiting Merlin. They both turned to look at Elyan, who rolled his eyes again.

"This is gross, icky stuff. Girly stuff," Elyan complained, though when Sterling and Ella shot him equally venomous glares, the young prince had no choice but to stand up and follow. The three children made quick work to Merlin's work chambers, which had been only a few hallways away from the courtyard that they were in just a few minutes ago.

"Uncle Merlin!" The three chorused once they reached the door. Merlin lifted his head from a small, dainty stone that he had been fingering and smiled at the sight of the children. "Hello!" He said, his voice sounding just as cheerful and happy as always.

Ella ran up to their uncle first, already seating herself in his lap as she had always done since she was a baby. Merlin smiled, welcoming the little girl's gesture. ("If you keep growing, you're going to be too big to sit in my lap!" Merlin had once said, though Ella simply replied, "Then I'll stop growing.")

Sterling and Elyan, on the other hand, quickly scooted on each side of Merlin's bench so the warlock would be stuck in between them. It was Sterling who spoke first. "Uncle Merlin, do you love Jolenta?"

Merlin blinked down at the little boy. "What do you mean?" He asked, surprised. Elyan puffed out a breath and said, "Sterling had this _ridiculous _notion that you loved Jolenta like how Father loved Mother. He kept saying that you were looking at her funny and –"

"She's a good friend." Merlin replied lightly. "And you know that as well as I do."

"Know what as well as you do?" A female, cheerful voice asked from the doorframe. Everyone looked up to see none other than Jolenta herself, who had her arms crossed and a humorous expression on her face. Jolenta was a petite, young woman with hazel eyes and a head of dark, straight hair. She had a funny nose, in Ella's opinion, and an even funnier accent, but she was willing to look over those little factoids for Merlin's sake. Speaking of little factoids, Ella sincerely hoped that she hadn't heard the entire conversation.

Merlin, too, seemed to share the same thoughts. He shot a glance at the children, as if to say, _don't tell her _and replied with pink cheeks, "The – er – fact that – um –"

"The fact that Elyan doesn't want to admit that I'm better at him in sword fighting!" Ella said quickly, eyes wide. She swung her legs as casually as possible, trying to do her best to look nonchalant and uncaring. "Because I really _am _better than him!"

To Elyan's credit, her twin immediately retorted, "You are _not!_ You're a girl! You can't be better than me!"

"Oh, so being a girl means that I can't handle a sword better than you?" Ella shot back. To everyone's relief, Jolenta replied, "I'm sure you two are equally amazing in sword fighting – and _Merlin _here shouldn't be trying to encourage any other feelings regarding the matter."

The children giggled as the woman gave Merlin a pointed, annoyed stare. Merlin lifted his hands in surrender. "All I'm saying is that –"

"Yes, wonderful, Merlin," Jolenta interrupted with an eye-roll. She made her way to the table and sat herself down in the bench sitting across from it. "Do you have any sleeping tonics?"

Merlin frowned. "I thought you could go to the physician for that," he replied, placing his hands on the table. Jolenta cringed. "Yes, but I've been avoiding him – he's too cocky for his own good, not to mention that he's got one hell of a temper. _And _I have to work beside him – might as well steal some time away, yeah?"

"Is that why you're trying to get into my good graces? To get away from the physician? I thought you were better than that, Jolenta," Merlin said teasingly, though he gently scooted out of the bench. Ella settled herself down on the wood and observed silently as Jolenta replied in an equally playful voice, "I am _not_ trying to get into your good _anything._ Come on, Merlin – you _know _how infuriating he is!"

Merlin tsked sympathetically. "I don't really like him myself – Gaius was better." He replied quietly. Ella and Elyan and Sterling looked at one another with a wince. They all knew that Gaius the physician was a touchy subject – according to their father, Gaius had been the physician before any of them were born. He died a few months after their mother had announced that she was pregnant and it was told that he was a very, very good friend of the family.

There was a new physician, of course, but from what Ella has heard from other servants (and from Merlin), he didn't have the same kind, good personality that Gaius had. (At least, that's what Ella had caught from the numerous conversations in the castle.) But Ella supposed that this physician was smart and knew what he was doing, even with the not-so-nice attitude.

Jolenta, too, seemed to know that the conversation was going into dangerous territory. She pushed herself off the bench and walked over to Merlin. She placed a hand on his shoulder, eyes sad. There weren't any words said, which Ella found strange, but what struck her even odder was that Merlin seemed to relax under her hand. He let out a long, deep sigh and turned around, a smile on his face. "Here you go," he said lightly. "Sleeping tonics – you know not to overdose it."

Jolenta grinned. "Of course I do," she replied, taking the small bottles gratefully. "Thanks."

"Welcome," Merlin nodded and with another smile, Jolenta turned on her heel to leave. However, just before she did, she turned and said, "I might stop by after lunch, too – there's some things that I wanted to discuss over."

Merlin nodded again. "I'll be here," he said, his smile broadening. Jolenta let out a laugh. "And _that _is why you're my favorite person in the castle – I'll see you later, Merlin!" She said cheerfully, and in a flash, she was gone.

A few moments later, Ella said, "You _definitely _like her."

"Yes, I like her. You like her, too, Ella." Merlin replied loftily, looking through some of his bookshelves. Ella rolled her eyes and stood up, arms crossed. "You know what I mean!" She said indignantly. "You _really _like her. _More-than-a- friend-like _her."

Merlin turned around, grinning. "Fine – she's a _very good _friend." He replied cheekily. Ella groaned, flopping down on the bench. "_Uncle Merlin!_" She said, exasperated.

"_Ella_," Merlin replied, mimicking the young girl's tone. "Come on – don't you want to do something else besides think about Jolenta and me?"

"_Yes,_" Elyan muttered whilst Ella shot back, "No!"

Merlin simply sighed.

xXx

"Father, why is it so hard for people to admit that they like someone? As in, liking someone more than a friend?" Ella asked as her father tucked her in bed. His eyebrows lifted in surprise. "What do you mean by that? Do _you _like someone?" He asked.

Ella giggled into her hand. "No, Father, of course not." She said, grinning. However, Ella propped herself up into a sitting position and said seriously, "It's just that Sterling and I were curious about Uncle Merlin and Jolenta." Ella's father's eyebrow lifted to his hairline. "What about them?" He asked.

Ella shrugged. "We thought that Uncle Merlin liked Jolenta – it's obvious, isn't it, Father? That he likes her? And she likes him? Just earlier today, they were together." She said, eyes wide. "But when Sterling and I asked him about it, he kept saying that she was a friend." She paused. "Which she's obviously not."

The little girl watched as her father laughed lightly under his breath. She crossed her arms. "It's not funny, Father," she said sternly. He smiled and kissed her on the head. "Uncle Merlin can just be stubborn sometimes, Ella. You know that."

Ella bit down on her lip. "I guess," she said slowly. She folded her hands over herself and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. "It would have been better if Uncle Merlin could admit his feelings, though. Wouldn't it, Father?"

"Sometimes, it's hard." He replied quietly. "Just give him some time. He'll come around."

xXx

"What's this I hear from the children that you've got an eye for Jolenta?" Merlin jumped at the suddenness of Arthur's voice from the doorway. He let out a soft sigh and turned around. "A knock would do," the warlock simply said. "Good morning to you, too, Arthur."

The blonde grinned and strolled in. "Good morning, Merlin," Arthur replied cheerfully. "And you're avoiding my question – do you like Jolenta? And you know what I mean, so don't even _think _about saying that she's 'only a friend'," Arthur added quickly as Merlin opened his mouth to speak.

The warlock was beginning to grow steadily irritated with this entire matter. Did he like Jolenta? Maybe…perhaps…yes – she was kind and compassionate and bold in her own little ways. She was studying as a nurse – and was catching on quickly. And she was beautiful. Not exactly beautiful in that _I'm-a-princess _sense, but more…casual? Would that be the word?

So, _yes, _Merlin's heart jumped a bit faster whenever he was talking to her. So, _yes, _he wished that they were a bit more than friends. So, _yes, _he hoped to pluck up the courage to let her know how much he liked her.

But not like this – not with Arthur and his children jabbering on and on about it.

However, Merlin sighed and said, "_Why _are you so suddenly interested in who I like? I never bothered you when _you _started to like Gwen."

Arthur snorted. "I beg to differ, Merlin – remember the time Gwaine came to Camelot for the first time? Or let's see – the time we had to rescue her from the –"

"Fine, fine," Merlin interrupted hastily. "But that was only because it was _obvious _that you liked her. _Obvious_. There's _nothing _obvious about me _liking _or having feelings for –"

Someone's throat cleared from the doorframe. Both men slowly turned around to see the said woman – Jolenta – staring at the two with a peculiar expression on her face. Merlin frowned. "How long have you been standing there? And why is it you _always _come in like that?" (Merlin _was _beginning to get worried about how Jolenta kept coming in at Merlin's less-than-dignified moments. Just a week ago, she walked in to find Merlin in a mess of broken potion bottles and ripped pages fluttering from some of the bookshelves. _That _was embarrassing, especially since he _still _didn't know how long she had been watching.)

A small smile flashed across Jolenta's face. "It's a little habit of mine," she replied lightly. "And…I think I've been standing here for longer than you would have liked."

"Really?" Merlin asked slowly, heat slowly rising to his face. "So…would you mind telling me how much you – er – heard?"

"That wouldn't be fun, now, would it?" Jolenta asked sweetly, crossing her arms. She leaned against the doorframe and looked around the room. "But…are you going to be that nervous when we go out?"

Merlin's mouth dropped open. He felt a blush creep up to his cheeks (again!) and stammered, "We're…you –…when?"

Jolenta laughed softly under her breath. "Your choice, Merlin," she replied cheerfully. "And…honestly, _are _you going to act that nervous?"

Merlin found his voice to say, "I…promise I won't."

Seemingly satisfied by those words, Jolenta bobbed her head into a small nod at Merlin and Arthur and still laughing, she disappeared from the door. There was a small silence after she left. Merlin was growing increasingly giddy and excited by each passing second and Arthur on the other hand, looked absolutely flabbergasted.

"Well…at least we know she likes you," he said faintly. "But who would have known that _she'd _be the one to – _Merlin, _she was the one who asked you to go out with her! The _woman!_ Why didn't you – Merlin? _Mer_lin, are you listening to me?"

Merlin turned to look at Arthur, a smile slowly spreading across his lips. "Hm?" He asked lightly, walking over to the bookshelves. "I think I'm going to get some work done…you know, might as well before seeing her…" He murmured.

The warlock could feel Arthur's eyes trained on his back, though he didn't acknowledge it. Instead, his smile grew wider and he turned around, a few books in his hands. "Well…isn't this exciting?" He asked casually, sitting down on his bench. He started to go through the books, his grin never leaving his face.

xXx

When Arthur walked out of Merlin's work-chambers, Ella, Elyan and Sterling were waiting for him. The king startled at the sight of his children and asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you'd still be in bed."

"We saw Jolenta," Ella said. "And she looked happy…and we asked her _why _she was happy and she told me that she was just at Merlin's and they had an interesting conversation." She spread out her hands. "So here we are!"

"What happened in there?" Elyan asked. "Father, did you see them?"

"I thought you weren't interested in this stuff!" Ella said, surprised, looking over at her brother. Elyan frowned. "Well, I'm allowed to ask questions, aren't I?" He asked haughtily. Ella rolled her eyes and looked back up at Arthur with wide, curious eyes. "Well, Father?"

Arthur crouched down in front of his children and in a dramatic, staged whisper, he replied, "It's official. Uncle Merlin is in love – and so is Jolenta. Funnily enough, they have plans to go out together later."

The three immediately cheered, though they were quickly quieted down by their father. "Come on, let's go." Arthur whispered, standing up. The entire trip back to their chambers was filled with questions like, "do you think we should congratulate them?" or "do you think they'll get married?" or "can we see them now?"

Arthur shook his head to most of the questions, all the while replying that Merlin and Jolenta might need some time to think all of this over by themselves. Ella sighed and went on, "If they're going to get married, though, I wanna be the girl to throw the flower petals. Can I, Father?"

Arthur simply grinned. He had the feeling that Merlin's love interest was going to be the typical focus of conversations from now on.

* * *

**A/N - Believe it or not, _Jolenta _was an actual name in the medieval ages, so please don't comment on how it's an unrealistic name. I always look up names in certain time periods. (I've never come up with silly names like...Raxocophilipa or something. Ugh. Mary-Sue names always bothered the living heck out of me. -.-) **

**Since the school year has officially started for me, it might get harder for me to write and update this story. I'll try to keep up with the weekly updates, but if I skip a week or two, please know that I'm just getting busier. :/ **

**Reviews are always great! Constructive criticism is allowed, but flames are not!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't really know where this chapter came from. I was bored and tired, which is never a good mix. XD I think this'll end up being the first part of the next chapters to come...maybe a little arc of three chapters to tie up a**** wonderfully complicated concept of teenage years and love****. (That sounded ridiculously cheesy and sappy - ugh. Excuse that.) **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"_No one likes me!_" Ella Pendragon groaned dramatically, flinging herself on the bench. Merlin calmly looked up from his book and replied, "That's not true – tons of people like you. I like you, Jolenta likes you, Elyan likes you, Sterling likes you…"

Ella sighed and interrupted, "_I don't mean it in that way._" Merlin paused and, lifting an eyebrow, drew out the word, "_Oh._" He closed the book and frowned. "Aren't you too young to be thinking about who _likes _you or not? I didn't even really think about girls until –"

"I'm _fifteen, _Uncle Merlin," Ella scowled, crossing her arms. She flapped her hand out the window and added, "Some of my friends already got their first kisses! I'm _literally _the _only girl _in _Camelot _who _doesn't _have a boy following her around." Merlin rolled his eyes and replied lightly, "Just wait a bit longer – you'll see. The boys will come running to you." He hesitated. "At least, the boys will come running to you and be promptly stopped by your father."

Ella groaned again. "_Not helping, _Merlin!" She said huffily. Merlin grinned and lifted his hands in the air. "Fine, fine," he said heartily. "But relax – not having a boyfriend isn't going to result in the end of the world." Ella snorted, fingering the soft wood of the bench. "Easy for you to say," she muttered under her breath. "You've got a girlfriend."

Merlin smiled. "And how old am I?" He prompted.

Ella looked up and frowned, tilting her head. In all honesty, Ella couldn't really tell how old Merlin was – he had never, ever seemed to age. If anything, he looked just as young as he had when Ella was still a girl of two braids and few teeth. Ella's _father _on the other hand, was beginning to show the signs of aging, though he never acted like one of those middle-aged, grouchy folk in the Council.

And since Ella had been maturing into a teenager, the princess was beginning to notice the smaller things about Merlin – small, somewhat attractive things. The way his eyes seemed to crinkle into little crescent shapes when he laughed or smiled – the gentle curve of his slender hands – the glimmering shine of happiness that seemed to show itself whenever he was relaxed…

_Gah, no, no, no, _Ella thought frantically to herself, ripping her eyes away from Merlin. _He's a friend – a friend, a friend, a friend…and he's interested in someone else. Stop. _

"Well?" Merlin asked, his eyebrows lifting. Ella slowly looked back up at Merlin and replied easily, "Not quite sure."

Merlin grinned and pushed himself off the table. "Don't let your father hear that – I think he's grumpy that he's getting the first grey hairs." He said cheekily. Ella giggled, saying, "I can't argue with you there – though I don't think Mother minds. Or anyone else, for that matter – Father doesn't _act _old."

"Of course he wouldn't," Merlin replied, leaning against the bookshelves. "And to be honest, I think everyone prefers it that way. Nothing's worse than having a king worrying about his age all the time."

Ella hopped off the bench. "Well…what about a stupid king? There can't be anything worse than a _stupid _king, right?" She asked. Merlin grinned. "Yes, well, that's where you're wrong – no one would allow a person lacking in smarts become a king."

"What if there was only one heir to the throne? And that one heir was a stupid prince?" Ella persisted, trying to ignore the rush of thrill that came whenever she had these debates with Merlin – it was something that she had always had since she was a child, but again, as she grew older, everything became different. Merlin let out a small laugh. "Then I suppose the throne would have to go to the princess," he said, giving Ella a meaningful smile. He turned to the bookshelf and added, "But if you're wondering, Elyan isn't stupid or simple – and neither is your father. He's a fine king."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I know, Merlin," she replied halfheartedly. "You've told me that just about a _billion and one times_."

"But you still haven't told your father?" Merlin asked hopefully.

Ella waved her pinky in the air. "Still our little secret," she replied in a sing-song voice. She paused. "Well, Elyan and Sterling and yours and mine, anyways."

"That's my girl," Merlin said happily, causing Ella's heart to give a little painful _pang. _

_That's my girl. _Who was Ella kidding? Merlin was probably old enough to her father, even _if _ he didn't look that way. _Why couldn't Ella like someone else? _Or more importantly – why couldn't there be another boy who might show some interest in _her? _That way, Ella would be perfectly happy and not as desperate or hopeful for some…other man.

This was all such a confusing jumble for Ella – and she couldn't even talk about these things to her mother, who would usually be an expert in this love mess. (Ella had always adored her mother's story in falling in love with her father – a maidservant? A prince? A forbidden love? That sounded just _perfect _and _romantic _to Ella's ears, though she was told that it wasn't always quite…romantic for her parents.)

But Mother, like Father, knew Merlin when he first entered Camelot. They were friends for a _long _time…and Ella dreaded to think about Mother and Father's reaction if she told them that she was beginning to develop an interest in him.

_Again, _it'd be so much easier for someone to just _like _Ella for once! Was it too much to ask? Ella wanted her _own _love story to tell her future children – that is, if she _was _going to have children. But if she was to have children, she'd have to have a husband…and that would start with someone who _liked _her…which no one _did…gah! _This was all a stupid cycle that Ella couldn't get out of!

"Dash it all," Ella exclaimed angrily under her breath, causing Merlin to look up. He frowned. "Excuse me?" He asked, stunned. Ella blinked and, already feeling a blush creep on her cheeks, quickly replied, "Nothing – it's just…I…forgot to do something."

"Ah – procrastinator," Merlin teased. Ella pressed her lips together into what she hoped would be a convincing grimace. "Yup, that's me," she said weakly and jutted a thumb at the door. "I'll just…get going, then." Merlin gave her a small wave. "Get that thing done!" He said cheerfully and nodding again, Ella quickly retreated from the room.

She didn't make too far before running straight into Jolenta, who had been carrying baskets of plants and herbs. "Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry!" Ella cried as the baskets flew out of Jolenta's hands. "It's fine," the older woman said kindly, immediately kneeling down to collect the fallen plants.

Ella didn't have to pretend to grimace as she started to gather the plants in her arms. "Were you…um, about to visit Merlin?" She asked, trying to keep her voice as casual as possible. Jolenta, thankfully, didn't seem to notice any feigned nonchalance. "Actually, yes," she replied. "I was just getting these to him – we're even going to be spending the rest of our break together."

Ella nodded. "Sounds nice," she murmured.

That was another complication of liking Merlin – Ella couldn't bring herself to hate Jolenta, especially since she had taken a liking in the woman from such a young age. The strangest thing was that Ella actually _tried _to dislike Jolenta – that way, it would be easier to like Merlin.

But _no_, it was hard – much harder than Ella would have anticipated. And the fact that Merlin looked happy with Jolenta and Jolenta looking happy with Merlin wasn't exactly easy, either. It just made matters worse…

And Ella didn't want to get in between them, either. She remembered how happy she was when Merlin started to like Jolenta, and she remembered how proud she would be whenever the two would do something as little as holding hands or exchanging smiles.

Now, Ella wanted to be in Jolenta's position, even if it meant that she never _would _be a Jolenta.

"Well, he's in his work-chambers now," Ella said lamely. Jolenta smiled, taking the herbs from the princess. "Thanks," she said. "I'll be seeing you around, Ella."

The princess nodded, smiling, and watched Jolenta head up to Merlin's work-chambers. The second she was out of sight, Ella allowed her smile to drop. She puffed out a sigh and brought her hands to her face. _Ugh. _She _needed _a boy to like her – someone who might actually properly show feelings for Ella – someone who might not give Ella any false feelings.

So far, that particular person hadn't come into Ella's life yet.

xXx

Haylan was nothing but a servant in the court of Camelot. He spent most of the time by running around and serving food to lords and ladies and everything in between. He worked in the stables once in a while, carried messages, and helped other servants do the laundry and such. Haylan supposed he wasn't exactly living a glamorous live in Camelot, but it was better than nothing. And he had made friends with the princes and princess of Camelot, too, so he wasn't sad or lonely, either.

Correction – he had made friends with the princes and princess, though he was secretly hoping to be considered as something _more _than a friend to the princess.

No one could blame him – Ella Pendragon was a beautiful young girl of fifteen years and she was kind, intelligent…with enough boldness to turn any other boys around. Haylan was only a year older than her, too, so they got along well.

Speaking of Ella, the thought princess came into Haylan's view. Her face was flushed and she was muttering something under her breath – by the look on her face, Haylan assumed that Ella was none too happy about what was revolving around her.

"Well, _that's _a lousy expression," Haylan called as Ella started to storm past. He bit back the urge to grin as Ella came to an abrupt stop. "I would have mistaken you for Old Man Clayton if it wasn't for the fact that you were wearing a dress…or had longer hair."

To Haylan's delight, Ella whirled around to look at him. "Ha, ha, _very _funny," she said indignantly. "But I suppose I can't really get mad at you – your eyesight is just as bad as Old Man Clayton's, after all." With those words, Haylan was relieved to see a ghost of a smile flickering over Ella's lips.

"Ah, but I would think not," he said lightly. "For if I _did _have bad eyesight, I wouldn't have been able to see how annoyed you looked."

Ella puffed out a sigh and rubbed a hand behind her back. "Sorry," she muttered. "I was just -" Her voice drifted and with another sigh, she leaned against the wall, only inches away from Haylan. She looked up at him and asked, "Do you know that feeling you get when…you're around someone you like?"

Haylan frowned. "Define _like_," he replied slowly. He didn't know where this was going. Was Ella trying to give him a hint?

"You know what I mean," Ella said, rolling her eyes. "You know…_fancying _someone."

Haylan felt his heart beat bounce into a faster pace as he bobbed his head into a small nod. "Of course," he whispered. _Maybe because that person is standing right next to me. _

Ella turned away and said, "And you know how the person you fancy usually cares about someone else?"

Haylan's heart dropped, though he was careful not to show any emotions on his face. "What, do _you _like someone like that?" He asked quietly. Ella brought her hands to her face. "Maybe," she murmured. "And it's _so frustrating, _because no one _else _seems to like me and I don't think I would be liking anyone else if there was someone who told me that I was liked by a boy…"

Haylan swallowed. It was in times like these when he found it nearly impossible not to just _lean over _and _tell _Ella everything – how he felt, how he wished that Ella would actually _notice _him, how he wanted to tell her how beautiful she was…and how she couldn't see it. And now, here Ella was, saying that she liked a boy – someone else, most definitely.

And Haylan wasn't in the picture.

"Ella, that guy you like…" Haylan started quietly and the princess looked up at him, eyes wide. He cleared his throat and continued, "The guy you like doesn't know what he's missing out on. He's stupid for not noticing you. Really." Ella pressed her lips together into a sad smile. "Probably not," she replied softly. "He's…different than most of the boys."

She waved her hands in the air. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this – you probably have work to do, right?" Not waiting for Haylan to answer, she hurried on, "I should probably go – just…forget about this discussion, will you? I think I just need to –"

"Someone _does _like you," Haylan interrupted loudly.

Ella stopped talking, eyes wide. "What? Really? Who?" She asked breathlessly.

_Say it, say it, say it…_Haylan thought to himself, though his lips refused to form the words. _Me, _he wanted to scream. _I like you – why would you be looking for someone else when I'm just trying to – _

"Haylan?" Ella asked hopefully. "Who likes me?"

The boy couldn't bring himself to respond. Lips parting slightly, he turned around and quickly strode away. Seconds later, he heard Ella screaming, "_Haylan! Wait! Do you – oh – Haylan!" _

* * *

**A/N - Since the idea of Ella liking Merlin became so popular, I couldn't resist. XD I really, properly couldn't. And then I started to create Haylan - still working on his character, as you can probably obviously see. *groans* I think school is sucking my creativity. I mean, the classes are interesting enough (I love my history class. And my teacher is AWESOME,) but I swear something happened to my brain after suffering from going back to school. -.- **

**Reviews are always nice! Constructive criticism is allowed, but flames are not. **


	5. Chapter 5

**I know, I know, I missed last week's update, but I WROTE THIS CHAPTER YAY! AND I've updated FOUR stories today! FOUR! That's a record, I think! Or maybe not...can't tell. XD **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

A week later after the Haylan Incident (or at least, that's what Ella called it), the princess found herself returning to her small crush on Merlin. She couldn't help it, she really, really couldn't! Besides, Haylan was avoiding Ella and he wouldn't even _talk _about what happened, so what else could she do? Whatever _thing _Haylan had felt for Ella was surely gone now – at least, that's what she thought. A small, small part of herself hoped that she was wrong, but who knew? And even then, were her feelings sincere? If she liked Haylan at all, was it a real feeling, or would she just like him because he was someone who liked her?

And now that Ella thought of it, maybe there was a part of her that _did _like Haylan – a part of herself that she always ignored, because she was either too smitten with Merlin or too absorbed in her other problems. But Haylan was…different. He wasn't exactly Merlin, _that _was for sure, but he still held the same beauty and kindness in his words and eyes.

And Ella supposed Haylan's eyes were quite nice as well – they were an interesting shade of green – the kind of green that didn't make a big deal about itself, but still the kind of green that made people think _those eyes are beautiful _if they were ever to see them up-close. Which Ella had – numerous times. Haylan had interesting hair, too – he had warm, cinnamon-colored hair, which always looked soft and silky in Ella's eyes. It didn't always behave (especially on windy days), though even when it was tangled up, it looked…somewhat _adorable_ in an odd, endearing way.

Haylan also had a sweet laugh – not the masculine, deep laugh that Ella had heard the knights utter all the time – but a lighthearted, quiet laugh that made everyone feel special about themselves – like they had done something good by making Haylan laugh.

Ella blinked.

_Did she like Haylan?_

_Why was life so confusing? _

"What's with the gloomy expression?" Elyan asked, flicking his fingers at Ella. The princess jumped and scowled at her twin, rubbing her arm meaningfully. "What gloomy expression? I don't have a gloomy expression," she replied. Elyan rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You've been staring at the wall for nearly ten minutes with the _oddest _expression on your face – I was sure you were going to ask me to share a few words of sympathy for it or something." He smirked. "Should I tell Father that we should prepare a funeral for the beloved wall?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha," she laughed sarcastically. "Hate to be the one to break it to you, Elyan, but walls don't have emotions."

"Who says?" Elyan asked, wiggling his fingers at Ella. "Maybe someone enchanted it into having feelings."

"Yeah, right – Merlin wouldn't ever do anything as silly or pointless as enchanting a _wall_," Ella sniffed. A small sliding sound occurred from underneath the table and out popped Sterling, who beamed up at his siblings. "Actually, I think Uncle Merlin might do that," he offered, not even bothering to explain why he was underneath the _table. _(Then again, don't all ten-year olds come out of unexpected places?)

"In fact, just the other day, Uncle Merlin told me how he used to do his chores as a manservant by using magic – he enchanted brooms and mops and all that!" Sterling added enthusiastically. Elyan grinned and turned to Ella. "See? Uncle Merlin would do stuff like that!"

Ella rolled her eyes again and said, "Well, my case still stands – I wasn't wearing a gloomy expression and the wall doesn't need any funeral preparations, thank _you _very much."

Elyan opened his mouth to argue, though he was abruptly cut off by another glare from Ella. He sighed and sat down on the table. "What's wrong, Ella?" He asked suspiciously. The princess frowned at her twin. "Look at that – my brother is actually capable of going from annoying to caring in a matter of seconds," she only said dryly. Elyan rolled his eyes and replied, "Yes, what a miracle – but honestly, you've been…quiet lately. And moody. And awfully girly."

"And you stopped calling Uncle Merlin _Uncle Merlin_," Sterling piped up. Ella felt her heart plunge and felt it fall even deeper as Elyan frowned down at their younger brother. "What does that have to do with anything?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow. Sterling shrugged and sat down across from Ella. "It's just odd – and she's been seeing him more often."

Elyan snorted. "Yeah, so? Ella's been doing that since _she knew how to walk_," he replied. Sterling tapped his fingers against the table. "Yeah, but it's different," he replied slowly. "I'm pretty sure Ella didn't turn pink every time she talked or heard about Uncle Merlin."

To her horror, Ella could feel her cheeks heating up just at Sterling's words. She felt Elyan's head snap back to her, eyes wide. "Oh, _God_," he said, shuddering. "Sterling, _please _don't tell me that you actually think…" His voice drifted as Ella buried her head in her hands. "_Ella?" _

"No, no, _no…_" She moaned. "You two weren't supposed to find out!"

When Ella looked back up, Elyan had the most stricken expression on his face. Sterling, to her surprise, didn't look all that fazed. He probably wasn't – even at his young age, he never appeared to be panicked by everything. (Then again, he probably never had anything to be panicked _about_…and he probably didn't know how wrong it was to be crushing on a man who was only a little younger than their father.)

After a few beats of silence, Sterling offered, "Oh, and Haylan turns pink whenever Ella's around." He turned to Elyan with a wide, innocent smile. Elyan shook his head and replied faintly, "_Why _do you always catch these things before I do, Sterling? It's unnatural."

Sterling shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno," he replied. "Uncle Merlin told me that I must have read a lot of books, but Mother and Father say that I'm just smart." He paused. "But I suppose that means the same thing, right? Being smart would come from reading a lot of books."

Elyan smirked. "Not so sure about that – Lord Orson's read more books than all of us combined and he's not very bright," he remarked. Sterling frowned, though he didn't do anything else to acknowledge Elyan's snide comment. He turned to Ella and said lightly, "I think you should talk to Haylan, Ella. Uncle Merlin is a nice person, but I think he already likes Jolenta."

Ella smiled sadly. "That's what I thought," she replied, fighting to keep the wistful tone out of her voice. Elyan pushed himself off the table. "Since when did you actually begin liking Uncle Merlin, anyways? Don't you find it…a little strange? I mean, we've known him since we were kids."

"Don't make me feel worse than I already feel," Ella snapped, though she added, "And _well…_he never seemed to age to me. And he's sweet and smart and funny and…" She groaned. "I don't even know what I'm thinking half the time."

"Must be those girly thoughts," Elyan nodded knowingly, only to have his moment ruined by a smack on the arm from Ella. "Girly thoughts or not, I think it's absolutely hopeless," she said. "And for the record, I can't even talk to Haylan because he gets all awkward around me and he's been avoiding me like a plague."

"To be honest, if I found out that the girl _I _liked turned out to like someone else, I'd be feeling pretty awkward, too," Elyan murmured. He examined his knuckles and asked, "Did you at least tell Mother or Father about Haylan? I mean, I would probably wait to pop that entire Uncle Merlin crush, but…with Haylan, it might not be too bad."

Ella shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't tell anyone about anything yet," she replied glumly. "And I think I'm going to keep it that way…until I've gotten a hold of what's going on around me, of course." She sighed and tapped her fingers against the table. "Besides, I think Father's been fairly bent on me not having to marry any men unless they're _absolutely perfect._" She cringed as she added, "And…Haylan's a servant."

"So?" Sterling asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Mother told us that she was just a servant when Father started to pay attention to her. I don't think Mother or Father are prejudiced against having their children like servants or non-royalty."

Ella's lips twitched into a halfhearted smile. "Maybe so," she admitted, "but I'm simply stating that I don't think Father would care in my case."

"Uncle Merlin said something about that," Elyan mused aloud. "Something about Father probably growing into an overprotective bear."

"_Overprotective bear?" _Ella laughed, and Sterling simply shook his head.

xXx

Another week later, it was settled by Sterling and Elyan and Ella – Ella was to see Haylan and get this entire Haylan Incident sorted out, and if all went well, perhaps the two could _do something _and Ella's need for a true love would disappear. If all _didn't _go well, then…all three siblings agreed that Ella would have to spring the entire Uncle Merlin news on Mother and Father, and maybe they'll be able to offer some advice to Ella. (The princess was dreading that option.)

So here Ella was, smoothing out her dress and waiting patiently for Haylan to walk out of the stables. Elyan had actually worked it all out – he knew Haylan's schedule after spending so much time talking to him. Haylan, according to Elyan, had absolutely no idea what was coming for him.

Ella took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, trying to predict what the conversation would be like –

_"Oh, hello, Ella." _

_"Good afternoon, Haylan – I wanted to talk to you about what happened the other day." _

_"Really?" _

_"Yes, really – I just wanted to let you know that I'm extremely sorry for not catching on before and that I didn't mean to let things grow so strange between us. And for what it's worth, I think you are an absolutely kind person and I would be happy to spend some time with you." _

_God, _Ella sounded like a complete and utter ninny, or like one of those wretched, stiff tutors that she had to listen to all the time. Before she could change or think over her words, however, the door to the stables swung open, revealing a somewhat rumpled and tired looking Haylan.

"Princess," he said awkwardly, formally. He closed the door behind him and asked, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"No," Ella replied. "But I _did _want to talk to you about the other day." She took in a deep breath and then, without warning, started rambling, "I'm extremely sorry for not catching on your signals before and I didn't mean to let things grow so…awkward between us." She twisted her fingers together and added, "I think you're a great person and if you…" She tried to find the right words – _spend some time with me alone _just didn't sound right. Again, she feared that she would actually sound like some sort of…two-braided, childish little girl. _And that wasn't who she wanted to be. _

"And if you…still want to…_talk _to me, I'd like that," Ella finally struggled out. Instantly, she pressed her face against her hands. "That was awful," she moaned. "What I _meant _was that if you still wanted to…_oh, what's the word?_" Frustrated, Ella lowered her hands and sighed. She looked up at Haylan, who, to her relief, was smiling. "See?" She asked sheepishly. "I'm rubbish at this sort of thing – absolutely _rubbish._"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm not exactly the perfect suitor, either," Haylan replied, though he didn't say it meanly. A small laugh escaped from his lips and he shook his head, saying, "You're really…different, Ella."

Ella felt her heart skip a few beats at those words. "Um…a good kind of different?" She asked hopefully.

"A good kind of different," Haylan agreed, beaming down at the princess. Ella felt a wide smile spread across her face and she replied, "In that case, I think you're a good kind of different, too, Haylan."

Haylan grinned and said, "I _would _hug you…or do something extremely romantic right now, but I smell like horse dung, so…" Ella giggled into her hand and replied happily, "Fine, Haylan – I'll wait."

And as Haylan waved his goodbye at Ella with a cheerful, goofy smile, Ella couldn't help but to wonder dreamily, _Merlin? Merlin who? _

xXx

Little to Ella and Haylan's knowledge, Arthur Pendragon and Merlin were watching the little exchange. The two men had different expressions on their faces – Merlin looked proud and pleased, whereas Arthur looked…annoyed. A bit confused, to say at the least. "What was _that?_" Arthur asked at last, watching Haylan walk away from Ella. "Did he just – what is Ella – oh, God, is it actually starting _now? _– Merlin, why is she – _Merlin, why are you looking at them like that?" _

Merlin blinked and looked over at Arthur, who was staring at him with such bewilderness that the warlock couldn't help to laugh. "It's called young love, Arthur," Merlin replied. He nodded his head at Ella, who was now smiling to herself. "I would think you'd know that – Gwen had that _very same expression _when you two started to get closer."

For a second, a happy smile spread across Arthur's face at the memories. However, once he looked back at Ella, he scowled. "She's only _fifteen! _I was out of those years when I first actually _saw _Guinevere, though," he muttered. Merlin snorted and said, "I should have known you were going to do something like this – such an overprotective father."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I am _not _being overprotective – I'm just…_since when did Ella ever pay attention to boys?" _

Merlin gave his friend a humored smile and replied simply, "And so the big, overprotective father stage begins…" He ducked down to avoid Arthur's hand a second later. He righted himself and added, "But Haylan is a nice boy – he'll be just fine for Ella."

Arthur sighed. "I _know _he's a good person, Merlin," he replied. "He's good friends with the boys…but _why _is Ella already getting this experience? It's too early for her. She's still a _child._"

"Fifteen years old," Merlin corrected. "That's hardly a child, Arthur. She's growing up to be a proper woman now. She's left her childlike self a while ago." When Arthur's face fell, he placed a reassuring hand over his shoulder. "But that doesn't mean she's not still your daughter," he said quickly. "She's just finding new things about herself."

Arthur ran his hands through his hair and looked over at Merlin. "_How _do you know of all these things?" He asked. "I've been a father for longer than _you _have and you _still _seem to know what might happen."

Merlin grinned and tapped his head. "I've read a few books," he replied cheerfully, earning himself a small laugh from Arthur. He turned back around to look outside and clasped his hands in front of himself. "Really, though, Arthur, I think you're just fine where you are – I don't think your children would doubt you for even one _second _about what you say or do."

Arthur paused and then, after a few moments, he replied, "Thank you, old friend."

xXx

"Your father and uncle were telling me about your little encounter with Haylan today," Guinevere said quietly as she watched her daughter get ready for bed. Ella smiled at her mother through her mirror and replied innocently, "Oh?" Guinevere beamed back and said, "I think Haylan is a wonderful person – I think he'll be lucky to have a sweet girl like you."

Ella turned to face Guinevere and responded, "Thank you, Mother." She hesitated and then fingering her comb, went on, "At least, I think so."

Guinevere's smile faded. "What do you mean by that?" She asked, puzzled. "You know you're a sweet girl, don't you?"

The queen's heart gave a pained pang as Ella shook her head slowly. Guinevere always believed that every single mother and father should let their children know how loved and beautiful they are – and to hear or see that your child doesn't understand it…well, that always made Guinevere sadden. Of course, she knew that it was a parent's job to love and understand more things than their children, but still…

"The thing is, Mother, I think I really, really like Haylan." Ella pressed her lips together and for a brief second, a look of giddiness and joy flashed across her face. Guinevere couldn't help but to smile – she remembered how happy she had been herself whenever she spent time with Arthur as a young woman.

"But there's been this one…problem that's been bothering me before I actually liked Haylan and I originally wasn't going to tell you about this, but I think it's the only thing that I should do before I actually begin to have an actual _relationship _with Haylan." Ella paused. "Because if I _don't _tell someone, I think I might possibly go insane."

Guinevere walked over to Ella's side and smiled. "You won't go insane, Ella."

Her daughter gave a feeble little laugh before saying, "Maybe…" She wrung her hands and then looked up at Guinevere in the eye. "Before I actually _liked _Haylan, I had feelings for…someone else." When Guinevere didn't discourage Ella from continuing, the princess went on, "And the problem was…that this person already had someone special in his life."

Guinevere tsked sympathetically – that wasn't always an easy thing to feel. However, Ella held up her hands. "But that's not the worst part," she hurried. Guinevere's brow furrowed. "It isn't?" She asked.

Ella shook her head. "You see, Mother, this person was…I mean, _is _a very, very, _very _good friend of the family." She cringed and with a weak smile, asked, "Do you think you can guess who that particular person is, Mother?"

Guinevere frowned. "Surely, you don't mean Uncle Merlin, do you?" She asked quizzically. Ella's reaction was almost immediate – her cheeks turned into a rosy red color and she pressed her lips together in a straight, thin, guilty line. Guinevere felt her lips part in surprise.

"…oh."

"_Oh_," Ella agreed. She winced. "But I don't like him anymore, so you don't need to worry about that, but I just…wanted to get that out of my system before I could actually start anything else." She looked up at Guinevere hesitantly. "You don't…think I'm strange for thinking about stuff like that, right?"

Guinevere smiled and planted a soft kiss at the top of her daughter's head. "No, of course not," she said, making quick work to recover. "I mean…it's a bit _unexpected_," she added with a small laugh, to which Ella joined in. "But really, I think I'm happier about the fact that you decided to tell me about it first." She squeezed Ella's hands. "You're already turning out to be much wiser and smarter than an average girl your age can be."

Ella smiled hopefully. "You think?"

"Yes," Guinevere replied. "I _know _so." She gave her daughter's hands another squeeze. Ella smiled up at her mother. "Thanks," she said in a small voice. Guinevere returned the smile. "You're welcome," she replied sweetly. "You'll be just fine with whatever or whoever you choose, Ella. I know that."

* * *

**A/N - Hee, hee - I just had to get Ella to tell someone besides Elyan and Sterling. XD I suppose this wasn't my best chapter, but still...I tried. XD **

**Reviews are always great! Constructive criticism is welcome, but flames are not!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I know, I know, I know, I was supposed to update this...three weeks ago? Two weeks ago? Two and a half weeks ago? Three and a half weeks ago? I don't even know anymore - what I ****_do _****know is that I am awfully late with updating. Sorry! *cringe* School has been a pain in the butt (and I've been extra busy...and I've realized that maintaining my grades isn't an easy task...) and I haven't done a lot of writing lately for this story. (At least, not as much as I would have liked. :() **

**But I'm here now! So...enjoy! **

* * *

A family picnic could never go wrong, yes? Just picture the setting – perfect, beautiful, rolling hills of green grass and multicolored, sweet-smelling flowers and a bundle of trees just placed in the perfect places. White, large, fluffy mounds of cloud were floating across the brilliant, blue sky and there were only a few animals – curious rabbits and birds – wandering around the land.

In other words, it was the ideal image of peace.

That was what Arthur and Guinevere were hoping to achieve in the family outing. They brought along Merlin (naturally), Jolenta (who Merlin finally married after all of those years of spending time together), and Haylan (who turned out to be a wonderful gentleman friend for Ella).

But of course, if the Pendragon children were involved (as people quickly came to realize), chaos was surely bound to follow any minute.

The first few hours actually _were _peaceful – Sterling and Elyan (Sterling now at the age of eleven and Elyan and Ella at the age of sixteen,) were quick to keep each other entertained. (Arthur and Guinevere really couldn't tell if Sterling was joking around with Elyan to keep him happy or if Elyan was trying to play with Sterling to keep the younger boy active…at this point, neither parent could tell which brother had the better intentions in anything.)

Ella helped Guinevere and Jolenta set up with the picnic, Haylan and Merlin and Arthur took a quick walk around the land just in case there was anything wrong with the area. (There really wasn't anything too threatening to worry about, and everyone knew that. Guinevere just knew that Merlin and Arthur insisted on taking Haylan for a walk because they were both interested in getting to know Ella's gentleman friend. The two older men had been sharing predictions and suspicions that Haylan was planning on asking for Ella's hand in marriage any day now, though Guinevere personally figured that they were just being silly and boyish in it all. A bet was probably circulating around the whole matter.)

When they all gathered for the picnic, everything appeared to be orderly and neat. The atmosphere was lighthearted and cheerful – no one was worrying about lessons or training sessions or speeches or treaties or druids or magic or healing…in other words, everyone was savoring the time to take the weight off their shoulders.

Now, Ella was resting her head against Haylan's shoulder, occasionally laughing at words he would whisper into her ear. Guinevere could only smile fondly at the two – so far, she liked this Haylan fellow, as she knew that everyone else in the family did. He had proved himself to be kind and clever on numerous occasions, not to mention extremely loyal to Ella. It was clear to everyone in the kingdom that he only had eyes for the Pendragon princess, which Guinevere knew secretly pleased Ella.

Elyan was occasionally flicking bits of food at Sterling, who never looked up or tossed any food back. He occasionally smiled to let his older brother know that this was all a joke, though – something that Guinevere was relieved about. She sometimes worried (along with Arthur) that the youngest son was much too serious about certain matters. Then again, she supposed she should be thankful for that sometimes, especially in times of panic.

Arthur's hand was clasped over Guinevere's, while the other carelessly tossed about in the air as the king talked to Merlin. Guinevere didn't mind that his attention was pulled away from her at the moment – Jolenta didn't seem to mind, either, and the two quickly struck up a conversation.

"You made this, didn't you, Mother?" Sterling asked after a little while, laying down on his back and staring up at the sky.

"Yes," Guinevere replied with a smile.

"Can you tell us another story about what happened back when Father and you were still prince and maidservant?" the young boy asked, casting Guinevere a hopeful glance. Guinevere exchanged looks with Merlin and Arthur and Jolenta, who all simply beamed back. Haylan, Elyan, and Ella all seemed to perk up at the idea of more tales as well. (Despite the fact that the twins were older, they were still fond of listening to the same stories of Camelot before they were born. To be honest, Guinevere was always happy to share them.)

"Sounds like a good idea, Sterling," Ella said sincerely. "Mother, can you tell us the story about how Uncle Merlin first revealed his magic to Father?" She curled up by Haylan's side. "That one's my favorite."

"I thought your favorite was the story about how I slayed the beasts outside the cave of the morteus flowers!" Arthur said, his voice glossed over with feigned shock. Ella rolled her eyes and replied, "I suppose that one is my favorite, too." Arthur grinned and said, "That's why you're my favorite daughter."

"You only have one daughter," Sterling said thoughtfully.

Arthur wasn't one to be discouraged. "Doesn't matter," he replied. "Still my favorite."

"What about the story about how Ella and Elyan got into trouble?" Sterling suggested, causing an eruption of laughter from the adults. Ella and Elyan both protested, shooting Sterling indignant looks. "For the record, we didn't get into a _lot _of trouble!" Elyan said, poking Sterling on the arm.

Merlin chuckled, raising his cup in Elyan's direction. "I beg to differ," he replied teasingly. "Remember that time you tried to levitate Ella to the ceiling?"

"Or the time you cut up your mother's dress?" Arthur added, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Oh, I remember the time those two climbed on top of my bookshelf!" Jolenta said, giggling into her hand. "Those two looked so pleased with themselves until you three came in."

Guinevere smiled. "And then they wouldn't get down because they were scared that they were going to get hurt," she said happily. Merlin lifted his hand. "And then I ended up floating them down to the ground because they were convinced that that was the only way they'd avoid any injuries," he finished proudly. He looked at Ella and Elyan with a wide smile. "I _still _think those two only climbed up there to make me use magic."

Even Haylan couldn't help but to add in his own memories. "I remember those two playing tag and then landing on a pile of horse dung," he shared. There were more bursts of laughter, this time one of them from Sterling. "I was chasing them!" the boy said. He paused. "Actually, no, Ella and Elyan told me to chase them because they were bored."

Elyan sighed. "Well, we were thirteen and we were annoyed at being inside all day – you can't really blame us for having some fun with you, Sterling. Besides, you were _so convinced _that you could catch up with us if you got enough practice in."

Ella shuddered. "Horse dung," was her only comment, which was drenched with disgust at the memory. "That was embarrassing."

"But on the other hand, that was the first time you met Haylan," Guinevere said gently. At this, Ella brightened. "I suppose so," she replied, instantly looking up at Haylan happily. The young man returned the gesture, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Ugh," Elyan grimaced. "Can you two at least _try _to minimize the romance here? Some of us still happen to be alone in companionship."

"_Alone in companionship?" _Merlin repeated playfully. "Never knew you to use fancy phrases, Elyan."

Ella grinned and stuck her tongue out at her twin. "He thinks he's being _so mature,_" she said loftily. "But we all know that's not true."

Elyan glowered. "I'm the older one, Ella, so actually, I _am _supposed to be the mature one." He shot back. Ella rolled her eyes and flicked a bit of food at him. "Two minutes older than me – doesn't make you more mature." She tilted her head, and after a pause, added smugly, "Or any more attractive. Or desirable for what you call _companionship." _

"Oh, _shut up _–" Elyan started to say, though Arthur (who obviously caught on that an ugly fight would erupt) interrupted sternly, "Ella, don't be so mean to your brother. And Elyan, don't try to act better than your sister because your older. Maturity does not come with age."

"Obviously," Ella muttered under her breath, but was silenced once again with a disproving look from Guinevere. She bit down on her lip and looked up at the sky, suddenly interested by the shapes in the clouds. Elyan kicked off his boots and said slowly, "But for the record, I think I'm more mature." He cast a sidelong glance at Ella and said, "As in I don't like people who are too old for me."

Ella's head dropped back down and said, "Haylan isn't too old for me."

"And I don't think Ella's too young, either," Haylan remarked.

Elyan smirked at Ella. Guinevere had a sinking feeling in her stomach – whatever Elyan was going to bring up next definitely wasn't going to be good. "I wasn't talking about Haylan," Elyan said mischievously, flicking his eyes from Ella and Haylan. He bounced up to his feet and bowing at his waist, jollied, "Funny story, everyone – once upon a time, my _dear _sister had a _teensy _bit of bad luck from Cupid –"

Ella suddenly jolted to her feet. "_Elyan, no!_" she shrieked, but Elyan simply raised his voice. "And she decided that she had eyes for a _certain friend of hers,_" he shouted, jumping away from Ella, who was now desperately throwing herself at him to cut him off. Guinevere couldn't blame her – she knew exactly what was going to come next. She, too, said, "Elyan, _stop!_"

But Elyan ignored his mother and sister's pleas. "And that friend was a _family friend!_" he added, triumph now evident in his voice. He pointed at Merlin – who stared at the pair, stunned – and said, "And it was Uncle Merlin!"

The silence that followed was troublesome. Guinevere fell back to the blanket, shaking her head. She couldn't tell what was worse to see – Merlin's expression, which had went from stunned to _very stunned _or Arthur's, which was a mix of bewilderment and confusion, or Ella's herself, which was filled with embarrassment and anger and sadness that reminded Guinevere too much of a wounded animal.

"I _hate _you!" Ella yelled, and pushing Elyan back a few steps, stormed away.

"Ella!" Haylan automatically called, standing up and running frantically after her. "Ella, wait for a moment!"

After the two disappeared to the woods, every adult's head turned to Elyan. (Including Sterling's, who had remained as silent as ever throughout the entire exchange.)

"What?" Elyan asked at last, sinking back to the blanket.

"Ella said that it was supposed to be a secret," Sterling murmured, looking down at the grass. "I think Ella's upset that you told a secret, Elyan."

Elyan scowled. "Don't pretend to be all virtuous and oh-so-high, Sterling," he scorned. He looked back at the adults, who hadn't moved a single inch since he had sat down. "The truth was going to come out eventually – I mean, it's not _that _big of a deal." When no one replied to those words, he groaned. "Oh, _God _– don't say that I actually did something _wrong!_"

"You _did _do something wrong, Elyan," Guinevere said quietly. "And like Sterling said, it was obviously supposed to be a secret of Ella's – and you gave it away. You betrayed her trust."

"Betrayed her trust?" Elyan repeated. He shook his head, disbelieved. "Mother, you're making me sound like a criminal!"

"It doesn't matter," Arthur said at last. "It's obvious Ella was hurt by your words." He frowned. "And besides, why bring it up now? It's clear that Ella's moved on from _any _feelings she might have had for Merlin." He tossed a quick glance at Merlin, who only shrugged in agreement. "She's _smitten _with Haylan," Arthur added. "The fact you would bring something up like this was silly and childish. I expect you to apologize to her when she gets back."

"It was just a joke," Elyan muttered under his breath. However, he went on to say, "Fine – I'll apologize. Or something of that sort."

The group lapsed back into silence.

Then, Merlin laughed lightly under his breath. When everyone turned to look at him, he grinned. "Sorry – it's really not supposed to be funny, I know – what Elyan did was a_wful,_" he said with a pointed look at the prince, who sighed. "But it's just – I never saw that coming." Lifting his shoulders, Merlin said, "And for the record, I'm not offended by the announcement." He paused and added, "Ella's still a friend, of course, but…I don't find it awful."

"Thank God for that," Arthur breathed, causing everyone else to laugh. "_Seriously _– I didn't want to deal with any tension between you two. That'd be _ridiculous_."

Nodding and smiling in agreement, everyone returned to cloud-gazing and occasionally making jokes. By the time Ella and Haylan returned, the mood was considerably lighter. Ella's face was tear-streaked, though she wore a watery smile. Her hands were clasped with Haylan's, and judging by the small, happy smile on his face, Guinevere assumed that the things were as secure as ever between the two.

"No real harm's done," Haylan said as the two sat down. He wrapped an arm around Ella's shoulders. "Besides, I don't think I'd stop loving her if she told me that she used to – ah – 'have eyes' for another man."

Ella snorted. "Yes, you would," she replied.

"No, I wouldn't," Haylan replied cheerfully.

After considering Haylan's words, Ella nodded. "No, you wouldn't," she agreed and looked over at Merlin with pressed lips. "Er…sorry," she murmured sheepishly. She looked over at Jolenta. "And I'm sorry about this all, too. I really, really didn't think –"

"It's fine, Ella," both Jolenta and Merlin replied in unison. Merlin lifted his goblet at Ella. "Still friends?" he asked. Ella looked relieved. She nodded back happily. "Still friends," she replied. She then looked over at Elyan, who emitted a soft groan before saying, "I'm sorry for exposing that little secret, Ella."

Ella lifted an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

Elyan crossed his arms. "Yes, I'm sure," he replied. He lifted his hands weakly. "No hard feelings?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "No hard feelings, Elyan," she said. She poked him on the arm and added, "But just know that you won't argue when I ask to use your sword from now on." At Elyan's horrified look, Ella rolled her eyes again. "Stop thinking of such terrible things – I'm not going to cut you up in your sleep or anything."

Temporarily comforted by the thought, Elyan relaxed back into the blanket. "Good," he said, laughing nervously.

xXx

Stranger things happened once everyone returned back to Camelot – and by stranger things, Guinevere meant that it seemed that her son was acting oddly towards a certain princess who happened to be staying over at the castle at the moment. (There was a speech to be coming up soon, after all – and some families were here before others.)

"Suzette!" Elyan exclaimed, waving a hand at the princess. The young woman turned her head and smiled sweetly up at Elyan. She bowed her head, and giving a dainty curtsey, replied, "Good day, Prince Elyan."

Quickly casting a small smile at his family, Elyan walked over to Suzette and said, "You really can just call me by my first name, you know."

"I would believe that's my choice, Prince Elyan," Suzette responded. She clasped her hands in front of herself and smiling again, said, "You must excuse me now – there's been some matters that my father wanted to discuss with me."

Though he looked disappointed, Elyan nodded. "Understandable," he replied. He took a small step back and asked, "Will I be seeing you again?"

Suzette only let out a small laugh before walking away.

"Whose turn is it to get shot by Cupid again?" was Ella's only comment.

* * *

**A/N - Lots of people wanted Merlin to know about Ella's little crush on him...and viola (or however you spell it), I wrote this thing! And I've realized that I needed to come up with some sort of love interest for Elyan. But the next chapter won't revolve around Elyan's almost-love-life - that plot arc will be for another time. I think the next chapter will be more about Elyan and Ella as younger kids...or Sterling, because I feel like I should give more love to him. XD **

**Reviews are always great! Constructive criticism is welcome, but flames are not!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay. So. I know it's been a while since I've updated this story...definitely more than a few weeks, that's for sure...*screams into pillow* But I got really caught up with real life and other stories and I'm sorry please don't kill me! *flings arms over face to protect myself from any possibly angry readers. Don't look at me like that - it's happened before.* Plus, my Wifi decided to act up and shut down on me, so I couldn't update this earlier today. :'( (And that is why it's midnight over here, folks!) **

**This chapter is a bit shorter - but I just really, really missed writing about Merlin and Ella and Elyan. Enjoy! **

* * *

Seven years olds Ella and Elyan Pendragon were terrified and gleeful at the same time.

Gleeful because they were making a ruckus…

And terrified because the victim of the ruckus might possibly murder them.

"Don't you _dare _think for one _minute _that you two can get away with this!" the children heard Lady Lyra shout after them angrily. Elyan took a half-second to look over his shoulder and see Lady Lyra's pudgy cheeks bouncing up and down as she ran after them. For a brief second, Elyan had the impression of a pig in his mind. He snorted and looked back at Ella, who looked equally excited as he did. The two dove around the corner and just to humor the Lady, they paused for a few seconds.

"I don't think she's too pleased with us," Ella commented, not looking at all apologetic.

Elyan smirked. "Oh, well," he replied lightly and there was another furious roar from Lyra. He blinked and turning to Ella, mouthed, 'Run?'

'Run,' Ella agreed, and the twins darted down the corridor again. They didn't pay much attention to the fact that servants were cowering behind statues or flattening themselves against the walls as they sprinted past. They bumped into a nobleman or two, but it was always the rushed "sorry"s and "excuse me"s that were uttered before running off again. And all the while, Lady Lyra _still _persisted on her hunt after the twins, reminding them both very much of an angry bull.

"We – need to – hide," Ella gasped at once, ducking behind a statue and dragging Elyan in behind her. He sighed and muttered, "You are _such _a girl, Ella!" His sister glared at him and shot back, "Am not! I'm just tired now!" When Elyan didn't look convinced enough, Ella added, "And I can still punch you in the face!"

"I'd like to see you try," Elyan retorted, though he looked back over his shoulder to avoid being hit. He sighed again and said, "We can hide in our room –"

"Too far," Ella said, shaking her head.

"Mother and Father's bedroom? Lady Lyra can't ever go in there," Elyan suggested.

Ella wrinkled her nose. "Too many stairs."

Elyan groaned. "The kitchens are out-of-bounds and I don't really think you'd want to run around the training grounds, especially since Father's out there right now…" his voice drifted unenthusiastically. Ella frowned. "Stables?" she asked halfheartedly. Elyan grimaced. "As much as I'd like to see Lady Lyra waddling into horse dung, I don't think that'd be the best idea," he replied. "Mother would be horrified if she smelled us."

Suddenly, Ella's face brightened. "Uncle Merlin's chambers!" she said cheerfully.

Elyan grinned at the idea. "Yes!" he whooped, and just then, Lady Lyra shouted, "A-_ha!_ Come here, you two! Your parents will _not _be happy with you –"

Ella let out a shriek and jumping to her feet, grabbed Elyan's hand and dove from the statue. The twins were back on fleeing, occasionally screaming when the bubbliness of it all would catch up to them. "I thought you said you were tired!" Elyan shouted as he zigzagged in between servants. He could barely make out Ella from behind a maidservant's red garments. Her head popped back out a few seconds later and she replied, "Yes, but I think Lady Lyra scares me more!" _True, _Elyan reasoned in his little brain and pointed down a hallway. "Uncle Merlin's chambers are just a little down that way!"

Ella didn't have to be told twice. The two practically flung themselves at Merlin's door. Elyan's eyes frantically searched around the large chambers, halfheartedly hoping that Uncle Merlin would be here. However, he was only greeted with a few trinkets laid out on the work-bench.

"In here!" Ella hissed, dragging Elyan down to beneath the table. Elyan obliged, but all the same stared at his twin. "There is no way we'll get away with this if we hide here," he protested. Ella frowned at him. "You don't know that," she argued. Before the young prince could snap a retort, the door suddenly opened.

Elyan sucked in a quiet breath as Lady Lyra burst in, face red from her effort of running. She turned her head from side to side, eyes glaring at each and every detail of the room. "I know you two are in here!" she shouted, hitching her skirts to walk in. "And when I find you, I swear you'll never hear the end of it!"

"Bet you we will," Ella muttered sourly under her breath. Elyan gave her a pointed look, though she simply shrugged her shoulders in response. "What?" she whispered. "No one can stand Lady Lyra – I bet Father and Mother would actually thank us for annoying her."

"I heard that!"

Lady Lyra's hands immediately shot towards the table, causing the twins to shriek in fright and surprise. "Go, go, go!" Elyan cried, shoving his sister out from the table. To her credit, Ella was quick to scrabble out. Elyan pushed himself quickly after, turning around fearfully to see how close Lady Lyra was. With a sinking heart, the prince was quick to find out that Lyra was, actually, only a few feet away from them.

"Well," he said weakly. "Isn't this just great?"

Lady Lyra sneered at Elyan and Ella. "To think that you two would play in my own chambers – have you two learned _anything_?"

"We learned how to run," Elyan supplied helpfully. With that, he turned to look at Ella, who gave him a small nod. Uttering a small scream, Ella darted around the room, throwing comments over her shoulder as she went. "Catch us if you can!" she yelled. Lady Lyra didn't hesitate. She bolted after Ella, her face a picture of rage and frustration.

Elyan, already getting excited by the heat of the moment, cheered, "Go, Ella! Make her run! Make her run! Make her run!"

His sister seemed to like the idea of being the boss of the situation. Beaming at Elyan, she ducked behind a bookcase, causing a few heavy books to fall out. Lyra screamed, throwing her arms above her head as a few of them narrowly missed hitting her. Elyan smiled with glee at that. Inspired by Ella's little rebellion, he clambered over to another table, searching for ammunition.

_Glass bottle – that wouldn't do. _(As spiteful Elyan was towards Lyra, he didn't want to make _too _big of a mess…)

_Flowers_. (Elyan snorted. Right. Flowers weren't exactly the ideal weapon against an angry woman in the court.)

_Fruit. _

A wide grin spread across Elyan's face. He smiled, grabbing onto a small apple. _Perfect_. He turned around and let out a sharp whistle, causing Lyra to turn around. He waved cheerfully at her and tossed the apple – not as hard as he could, of course – but still enough to cause it to splatter against her dress. "You nasty child!" Lyra fumed. She bent down, and shaking the fabric wildly, added, "I'll get someone – I really will – and you'll be in _so much trouble _–"

"Get someone?" a bewildered voice asked from the doorway.

Everything stopped. Elyan watched with pleasure as Lady Lyra's expression slowly turned to one of forced containment. He turned round to see his beloved Uncle Merlin, standing in the door with lifted eyebrows and crossed arms. "Good afternoon, Uncle Merlin!" Ella chirped from behind the bookcase. "Figured you'd come at one point!"

Merlin, however, did not smile. Elyan felt his good mood falter as Merlin's eyes fixed on him. There was something else in the look that the older man gave Elyan – not exactly annoyance, but something much deeper than that. Disappointment, maybe? Elyan felt his cheeks and the back of his neck burn.

_Uh-oh. _

Not wanting to hold the stare any longer, Elyan ripped his eyes away and turned them to the floor.

"Might I ask what's going on here?" Merlin asked, his voice quiet. There was a rather pregnant pause and then, Lady Lyra found her voice again. "These children have _deliberately _been a nuisance!" she blustered. "Even more, they've done nothing but go through my belongings – try to humiliate me in front of any other passing citizen they find – and just become an absolute _horror _to the others."

"An absolute horror, you say?" Merlin asked. Elyan had the feeling that Merlin was looking between Ella and him again – and at that, Elyan wanted nothing more than to go back in time and take back whatever actions he did to start this mess. He didn't like having people stare at him with disappointment – it was always the worst feeling a boy his age could ever feel.

"In that case, you'll hear from the children soon, I'm sure," Merlin added. "Their parents will find out and erm…I would think they'd give an apology soon. Actually, an apology would be rather nice to give right now, yes?" This time, Elyan looked up. The sorcerer gave him – and Ella – a pointed look. "Well?" he asked slowly. "What do you two have to say to Lady Lyra?"

"Apologies," Ella and Elyan chorused, though the notes of misery and dullness weren't able to be swept out of their words. Merlin pressed his lips into a thin smile as Lyra gave a small huffing sound. "I certainly hope you'll bring news of this behavior to their parents," she said coolly. She started to make her way out of the room, when Merlin spoke again.

"Not that the children were totally in the right, Lady Lyra, I would hope you, too, would find that your actions weren't entirely righteous." Merlin called after her. "They _are _jut children, even _if _they're of royal blood." At those words, Lyra stiffened visibly – but she didn't bother looking back. It wasn't until they heard Lyra's footsteps completely silent did Merlin actually close the door.

"We're sorry, Uncle Merlin," Ella said in a small voice, taking a few steps away from the bookcase. "Elyan and I were just having a bit of fun and we wanted to hide in here, so…" She gestured helplessly at the mess. Her voice drifted and then cringing, mumbled, "Sorry?"

Merlin sighed. He rubbed his hands over his face and then, after a few moments, said, "I'm not angry about the mess, you two." He cast a look around the room. "Really, I'm not – but from now on, no more annoying nobles, alright? Even if they really, properly deserve it. Wouldn't want you getting into trouble."

Elyan nodded, though the solemn notes in Uncle Merlin's voice worried him. He hadn't ever seen him so serious or tired before, except when he would be talking with Father in the late hours of the night. (And that would be when they thought he wasn't watching.) Then again, there had been signs of odd things happening lately – Elyan had noticed how the knights were training harder than ever, and that whenever Ella and Elyan tried to visit Uncle Merlin, it would be short and brief because someone would interrupt them.

For the first time in his seven years, Elyan wondered if there was something that his parents and Uncle Merlin were hiding something from him. Something important.

"We'll help you clean up the mess, Uncle Merlin," Elyan finally said. To prove his word, he immediately leaned forward and started scooping up the books. He grunted softly under his breath at the weight, but all the same carried it over to the bookcase. Ella quickly took on his example, gathering bits of squished up apple on the floor. She carried it dutifully over to the little bin in the corner of the room. After a few minutes, Elyan heard Merlin draw out a soft sigh. He picked up the books and tucked them into the shelves.

"Come here, you two," he said, stretching out his arms. Ella's face brightened considerably and she practically leaped into his arms. Elyan followed suit. Merlin's arms tightened around the two. "Things have been difficult lately," he said quietly. "And your father and mother will tell you soon – in fact, a lot of people these days haven't been very happy. So can I trust you two to try to help everyone out?"

Ella nodded. "Of course, Uncle Merlin," she said. "I promise. And Elyan does, too."

"I can speak for myself!" Elyan protested, but didn't bother pressing the topic further. He huffed out an irritated breath at Ella – but looked up at Merlin to confirm his position. Merlin's eyes softened. He smiled – a sincere one this time – and murmured, "You two are the best children in Camelot." He paused. "And Sterling, too."

"But he's only two years old and he doesn't know anything yet," Elyan replied.

Merlin let out a low laugh. "Maybe," he said, "but that doesn't make him one of the best, either." He pressed a gentle kiss against their foreheads. "Now, let's get back to cleaning up this place."

xXx

Elyan and Ella were both wide awake when their father walked into their bedroom. "Merlin told me what you two did today," was his first comment. Elyan watched as he sat down on Ella's bed. His father looked over at Elyan, a grin on his face. "Come on," he gestured. Elyan quickly hopped off his bed and dove towards his father. He immediately curled up by his side, head resting on his arm and Ella resting against his lap.

"Are you mad at us?" Ella asked, looking up at their father. "'Cause I don't think Lady Lyra's too happy with us right now." Their father shook his head. "No, I'm not mad," he replied quietly. He brushed a hand through both Ella and Elyan's hair. "A bit tired, but not angry."

Elyan shifted his position by his father. "Uncle Merlin mentioned something about people not being happy lately. Why is that, Father?" he asked, eyes wide. The blond paused. He ruffled Elyan's hair and replied, "I've just been a bit busy lately. That's all, Elyan. A bit busier than I was before…so I might not be seeing you or Ella or even your mother."

Ella propped her head up on her elbow. "Oh," she mumbled. She looked up at their father. "But it'll get better?"

"Of course." Their father reached over and squeezed both Ella and Elyan's hands. Elyan smiled up at him as he repeated, "Of course. It'll get better."

* * *

**A/N - Because even with Morgana gone, Arthur and Merlin and Guinevere still have to deal with some scary stuff. In other words, adults get stressed out and they have to try to make kids feel happy. (I mean, whether you're a parent or about to be a parent or had a guardian, I think we all know the feeling of watching a loved one having to lie to you or cover something up because they didn't want to bring something upsetting up to you.) **

**Hopefully, I'll be back with another chapter of this soon! Reviews are always great! Constructive criticism is welcome, but flames are not. **


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